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Heather Ridge

Public Grades 6-12

225^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 227 Maryland High Schools

Better than 1% of Maryland high schools

Summary

Heather Ridge in Frederick, MD, is a small, alternative-style high school serving grades 6-12 with just 50 students, operating within the high-performing Frederick County Public Schools district. This school is a specialized program for students facing significant challenges, as shown by an 84% free/reduced lunch rate, and it stands in stark contrast to nearby schools like Urbana High and Oakdale High, which rank among the best in the state. With a state ranking in the bottom 1% and a 0-star rating, Heather Ridge is an extreme outlier, focusing on re-engagement and credit recovery rather than traditional academic achievement.

The most critical issue at Heather Ridge is chronic absenteeism, with 74.4% of students missing school regularly in 2024-2025, compared to the district average of 16.7% and rates as low as 12.2% at Urbana High. This attendance crisis directly drives the school's extremely low academic proficiency—only 2% of students are proficient in math and 12.2% in English Language Arts, versus district averages of 38.5% and 64%, respectively. The graduation rate is just 27.2%, while the dropout rate is a staggering 59.0%, far exceeding the district's 3.4% average and nearby schools like Walkersville High (93.7% graduation rate).

Despite these challenges, Heather Ridge invests heavily in its students, spending $96,817 per pupil—over five times more than schools like Urbana High ($14,432) and Linganore High. This funding supports an incredibly low student-teacher ratio of 2.9:1, allowing for intensive, individualized instruction. There is a slight positive trend, with graduation rates inching up from 22.2% in 2018-2019 to 27.2% in 2024-2025, suggesting that these high-cost interventions may be helping some students succeed. For parents, Heather Ridge is not a typical school but a specialized program for students who need extra support to overcome significant barriers to learning.

Students ?

2.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$96,817

Per pupil spending ?

84%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1445 Taney Ave
Frederick, MD 21702-4311

(227) 203-3880

District: Frederick County Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

African American:

40.0%

Hispanic:

26.0%

White:

24.0%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 2nd percentile in 2023 → 1st in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 3 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (6% vs 38% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (1st percentile)

!English Language Arts scores 40 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school6%

District avg50%

Maryland avg38%

225^th of 227

Maryland public high schools ?

Bottom 1%▼ down 1 pts since 2023

See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 11High Schools in the Frederick County Public Schools

5^th of 25Frederick County Public Schools among Maryland districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2026	8.7	225 of 227	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	12.5	208 of 220	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.0	124 of 127	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts12%-40 vs state

Mathematics2%-25 vs state

Algebra I0%-21 vs state

5.0

1 rating

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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Schools Near Heather Ridge

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAP Mathematics (2026)		MCAP English Language Arts (2026)			MCAP Algebra I (2026)	MCAP Algebra II (2026)	MCAP Geometry (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 10th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Algebra II End of Course	MCAP Geometry End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Heather Ridge	Public	6-12	1445 Taney Ave	Frederick	21702	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(227) 203-3880	50	17	2.9	84.0%	12 (24.0%)	20 (40.0%)	13 (26.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (8.0%)	8.7	225^th of 227 public high schools	0.9%		12.5	208^th of 220 public high schools	5.5%	17	6.3	2.0	6.7	15.0	12.2	0.0			$96,817	$2,392	$94,425
Gov. Thomas Johnson High	Public	9-12	1501 N Market St	Frederick	21701	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(227) 203-3450	2,066	119	17.3	58.4%	528 (25.6%)	523 (25.3%)	772 (37.4%)	96 (4.6%)	7 (0.3%)	9 (0.4%)	129 (6.2%)	38.8	116^th of 227 public high schools	48.9%		27.5	143^rd of 220 public high schools	35.0%	27		11.1		58.4	58.4	5.5	15.4	35.7	$17,662	$1,188	$16,475
Frederick County Virtual	Public, Virtual	9-12	1799 Schifferstadt Blvd	Frederick	21701	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(227) 203-3780	0	3	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Frederick County Career & Technology Center	Public	10-12	7922 Opossumtown Pike	Frederick	21702	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(227) 203-3650	0	33	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Frederick High	Public	9-12	650 Carroll Pky	Frederick	21701	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(227) 203-3300	1,821	106	17.1	59.5%	329 (18.1%)	474 (26.0%)	790 (43.4%)	93 (5.1%)	4 (0.2%)	6 (0.3%)	121 (6.6%)	41.2	105^th of 227 public high schools	53.7%		30.3	136^th of 220 public high schools	38.2%	31		25.4		50.9	50.9	24.2	50.0	28.9	$16,652	$1,046	$15,606
Walkersville High	Public	9-12	81 W Frederick Street	Walkersville	21793	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(227) 203-3350	1,181	60	19.6	38.8%	678 (57.4%)	187 (15.8%)	206 (17.4%)	33 (2.8%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (6.1%)	55	58^th of 227 public high schools	74.4%		43	97^th of 220 public high schools	55.9%	39		17.7		74.1	74.1	7.1		63.2	$18,206	$1,231	$16,975
Tuscarora High	Public	9-12	5312 Ballenger Creek Pk	Frederick	21703	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(227) 203-3100	1,735	89	19.4	48.7%	531 (30.6%)	428 (24.7%)	514 (29.6%)	135 (7.8%)	7 (0.4%)	7 (0.4%)	111 (6.4%)	48	79^th of 227 public high schools	65.2%		32.2	129^th of 220 public high schools	41.4%	50		13.7		64.7	64.7	13.7			$16,609	$1,207	$15,401
Oakdale High	Public	9-12	5850 Eaglehead Drive	Ijamsville	21754	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(227) 203-3400	1,702	88	19.4	17.6%	976 (57.3%)	207 (12.2%)	218 (12.8%)	187 (11.0%)	6 (0.4%)	4 (0.2%)	102 (6.0%)	77.3	14^th of 227 public high schools	93.8%		66.5	26^th of 220 public high schools	88.2%	12		44.1		91.8	91.8	32.4	70.8	53.0	$15,052	$816	$14,236
Middletown High	Public	9-12	200 Schoolhouse Dr	Middletown	21769	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(227) 203-3600	1,059	54	19.7	20.6%	863 (81.5%)	27 (2.5%)	92 (8.7%)	20 (1.9%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (5.0%)	55.8	57^th of 227 public high schools	74.9%		57.6	45^th of 220 public high schools	79.5%	12		25.7		77.3	77.3	11.0	54.5	67.4	$16,693	$979	$15,713
Urbana High	Public	9-12	3471 Campus Dr	Ijamsville	21754	Frederick County	Frederick County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(227) 203-3550	1,989	99	20.0	16.5%	940 (47.3%)	220 (11.1%)	255 (12.8%)	426 (21.4%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	141 (7.1%)	89.1	4^th of 227 public high schools	98.2%		83.2	6^th of 220 public high schools	97.3%	2		64.3		93.0	93.0	52.0	91.3	77.2	$14,432	$767	$13,664

Frequently Asked Questions about Heather Ridge

How many students attend Heather Ridge?

In the 2024-25 school year, 50 students attended Heather Ridge.

What district is Heather Ridge in?

Frederick County Public Schools

Is Heather Ridge a good school?

Heather Ridge ranks in the bottom 0.9% of Maryland high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Heather Ridge?

Students at Heather Ridge are 40% African American, 26% Hispanic, 24% White, 8% Two or more races, 2% Not Specified.

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Schools in Frederick, MD

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Latest Maryland data All new data »

2025–26 MCAP test scoresJul 28, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCAP test scoresAug 26, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Maryland State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.