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Darlington Elementary

Q: Is Darlington Elementary a good school?

Darlington Elementary ranks 191 st of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

191^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 78% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Darlington Elementary is a small, rural K-5 school in Darlington, MD, serving just 96 students within the Harford County Public Schools district. This school stands out for its exceptional resource allocation, spending an extraordinary $42,650 per student—more than double any nearby school, such as Churchville Elementary ($16,351) or Fountain Green Elementary ($18,613). This investment translates into a very low student-to-teacher ratio of 8.7:1, allowing for highly individualized instruction that is a key driver of the school's strong academic performance.

Academically, Darlington consistently ranks in the top 25% of Maryland elementary schools, earning a 4-star rating in four of the last five years. Its English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency rate of 70.2% far exceeds the district average of 61.1% and the state average of 51.7%. Math proficiency, at 44.7%, is also well above the district (28.4%) and state (27.1%), though it shows a concerning decline as students progress through grades—5th graders (30.8%) actually fall below the district average (33.2%). Compared to its closest neighbor, Conowingo Elementary in Cecil County, which serves a similar demographic (47.2% free/reduced lunch), Darlington significantly outperforms in both math (44.7% vs. 24.1%) and ELA (70.2% vs. 51.1%), likely due to its 2.6x higher per-pupil spending and half the student-teacher ratio.

While Darlington's chronic absenteeism rate has risen from 16.0% in 2021-2022 to 17.3% in 2024-2025, it remains close to the district average of 18.5%. The school's small size means a few absent students can significantly impact this percentage, so it's worth monitoring. Overall, Darlington offers a unique environment where high investment and small class sizes drive strong academic outcomes, particularly in reading, though math performance in upper grades is an area to watch. The school's consistent high ranking and resource advantages make it a standout choice for families seeking a personalized, high-performing elementary education in a rural setting.

Students ?

8.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$42,650

Per pupil spending ?

42.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2119 Shuresville Rd
Darlington, MD 21034-1512

(410) 638-3700

District: Harford County Public Schools

Students who attend Darlington Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Havre de Grace Middle
High:	Havre de Grace High

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.5%

Hispanic:

6.3%

Two or more races:

4.2%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Darlington Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 62nd percentile in 2021 → 78th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (56% vs 39% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of Maryland elementary schools

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 78th (2026) from a 62nd-percentile low (2021)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school56%

District avg44%

Maryland avg39%

191^st of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Top 22%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From top 16% (2016) to top 22% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

15^th of 33Elementary Schools in the Harford County Public Schools

11^th of 25Harford 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	78.8	191 of 864	77.9%	★★★★☆
2025	82.2	158 of 865	81.7%	★★★★☆
2024	72.1	225 of 859	73.8%	★★★★☆
2023	70.9	228 of 855	73.3%	★★★★☆
2022	80.3	164 of 862	81.0%	★★★★☆
2021	47.2	301 of 802	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.9	254 of 853	70.2%	★★★★☆
2018	71.8	240 of 857	72.0%	★★★★☆
2017	82.3	158 of 847	81.3%	★★★★☆
2016	85.0	133 of 845	84.3%	★★★★☆
2015	74.9	209 of 859	75.7%	★★★★☆
2014	71.6	265 of 867	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	41.9	544 of 847	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	41.7	576 of 857	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	64.0	329 of 853	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	78.2	150 of 855	82.5%	★★★★☆
2009	74.5	214 of 850	74.8%	★★★★☆
2008	71.5	255 of 838	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	32.7	599 of 818	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	47.5	465 of 804	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2005	35.4	576 of 805	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	55.8	420 of 803	47.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	35.2	306 of 528	42.0%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

White (2021)42nd percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts70%+18 vs state

Science46%+14 vs state

Mathematics45%+18 vs state

★

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Schools Near Darlington Elementary

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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 Science (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 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Darlington Elementary	Public	K-5	2119 Shuresville Rd	Darlington	21034	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-3700	96	11	8.7	42.7%	83 (86.5%)	2 (2.1%)	6 (6.3%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.2%)	78.8	191^st of 864 public elementary schools	77.9%		82.2	158^th of 865 public elementary schools	81.7%	33	58.3	45.5	30.8	44.7	66.7	72.7	69.2	70.2	46.2	$42,650	$1,547	$41,104
Conowingo Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	471 Rowlandsville Rd	Conowingo	21918	Cecil County	Cecil County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 996-6040	379	22	17.0	47.2%	329 (86.8%)	5 (1.3%)	26 (6.9%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.2%)	48.7	421^st of 864 public elementary schools	51.3%		54.4	370^th of 865 public elementary schools	57.2%	51	32.7	16.7	23.1	24.1	58.2	38.9	55.4	51.1	37.5	$16,286	$2,520	$13,766
Dublin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1527 Whiteford Rd	Street	21154	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-3703	222	18	12.6	40.5%	187 (84.2%)	5 (2.3%)	15 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (6.3%)	77.3	203^rd of 864 public elementary schools	76.5%		78.7	193^rd of 865 public elementary schools	77.7%	10	72.2	28.1	31.3	45.0	83.3	62.5	71.9	73.0	47.1	$22,289	$1,075	$21,215
Churchville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2935 Level Rd	Churchville	21028	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-3800	364	22	16.6	25.3%	296 (81.3%)	13 (3.6%)	25 (6.9%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.9%)	93	56^th of 864 public elementary schools	93.5%		91	80^th of 865 public elementary schools	90.8%	24	68.2	70.7	50.0	63.2	72.7	82.8	84.5	79.7	65.5	$16,351	$1,062	$15,289
Bainbridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	41 Preston Dr	Port Deposit	21904	Cecil County	Cecil County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 996-6030	294	24	12.4	64.3%	223 (75.9%)	2 (0.7%)	31 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	35 (11.9%)	44.3	447^th of 864 public elementary schools	48.3%		63.2	306^th of 865 public elementary schools	64.6%	141	40.0	32.3	27.0	32.8	47.1	40.3	48.6	44.4	16.7	$20,455	$3,839	$16,616
Meadowvale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	910 Grace View Dr	Havre De Grace	21078	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 939-6622	552	34	16.1	41.7%	342 (62.0%)	97 (17.6%)	60 (10.9%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (8.5%)	56.6	354^th of 864 public elementary schools	59.0%		46.8	432^nd of 865 public elementary schools	50.1%	78	46.2	20.5	22.7	30.5	62.4	48.9	56.0	55.9	39.7	$16,183	$1,058	$15,125
Prospect Mill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	101 Prospect Mill Rd	Bel Air	21015	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-3817	579	40	14.4	33.2%	373 (64.4%)	66 (11.4%)	43 (7.4%)	41 (7.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (9.5%)	78.3	194^th of 864 public elementary schools	77.5%		85	138^th of 865 public elementary schools	84.0%	56	46.3	47.5	38.4	44.2	69.5	69.7	65.9	68.4	48.8	$17,392	$1,265	$16,127
Rising Sun Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	500 Hopewell Rd	Rising Sun	21911	Cecil County	Cecil County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 658-5925	609	39	15.5	45.8%	528 (86.7%)	2 (0.3%)	43 (7.1%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.4%)	49.2	418^th of 864 public elementary schools	51.6%		49.2	414^th of 865 public elementary schools	52.1%	4	37.2	34.4	27.0	32.7	51.3	52.1	42.0	48.5	25.0	$15,813	$2,142	$13,672
Havre de Grace Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	600 Juniata St	Havre De Grace	21078	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 939-6616	593	38	15.4	49.4%	269 (45.4%)	167 (28.2%)	67 (11.3%)	15 (2.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	72 (12.1%)	49.5	415^th of 864 public elementary schools	52.0%		51.7	392^nd of 865 public elementary schools	54.7%	23	40.2	26.0	26.7	30.6	42.5	40.6	56.4	46.7	37.0	$15,923	$965	$14,958
Fountain Green Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	517 Fountain Green Rd	Bel Air	21015	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-4220	443	29	15.1	22.8%	336 (75.8%)	31 (7.0%)	26 (5.9%)	19 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.0%)	83.2	151^st of 864 public elementary schools	82.5%		92.2	72^nd of 865 public elementary schools	91.7%	79	41.9	74.7	47.3	54.5	60.8	74.7	74.7	70.5	52.7	$18,613	$1,046	$17,568

Frequently Asked Questions about Darlington Elementary

What district is Darlington Elementary in?

Harford County Public Schools

How many students attend Darlington Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 96 students attended Darlington Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Darlington Elementary?

Students at Darlington Elementary are 86% White, 6% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% African American, 1% Asian.

Is Darlington Elementary a good school?

Darlington Elementary ranks 191^st of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Darlington Elementary attend?

Students who attend Darlington Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Havre de Grace Middle
High : Havre de Grace High

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Latest Maryland data All new data »

2025–26 MCAP test scoresNewJul 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.