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William H. Farquhar Middle

Q: Is William H. Farquhar Middle a good school?

William H. Farquhar Middle ranks 64 th of 342 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

64^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 342 Maryland Middle Schools

Better than 81% of Maryland middle schools

Summary

William H. Farquhar Middle in Olney, MD, is a consistently high-performing school serving 682 students in grades 6-8 within the Montgomery County Public Schools district, situated in a relatively affluent community with a declining free and reduced lunch rate of 27.7%.

Farquhar Middle stands out for its exceptional English Language Arts (ELA) performance, with 72% of all students proficient—a remarkable 23.5 percentage points higher than the district average and 20.3 points above the state average. This places it among the top schools in the area, alongside Rosa M. Parks Middle (75.2% ELA proficiency), while nearby schools like Earle B. Wood Middle (57.4%) and Redland Middle (48.6%) lag significantly behind. The school also excels in advanced math, with 48.6% of test-takers proficient in Algebra I and 77.8% in Geometry, far exceeding district averages. Additionally, Farquhar boasts a remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate of 12.3%, nearly half the district average of 22.6% and the second-lowest among nearby schools, just behind Briggs Chaney Middle (11.8%).

Interestingly, Farquhar's overall math proficiency (37.1%) appears lower than its ELA scores, but this is partly due to a "math paradox": the most advanced 8th-grade students take Algebra I or Geometry, leaving a less-prepared cohort for the standard 8th-grade math test, resulting in a 2.2% proficiency rate for that grade. The school's success is not solely tied to funding—its per-student spending ($21,175) is mid-range compared to peers like Odessa Shannon Middle ($22,692) and Redland Middle ($24,198), suggesting efficient resource use and effective instruction. Farquhar has maintained a stable state ranking in the 80th to 88th percentile for a decade, reflecting strong leadership and a supportive community.

682

Students ?

15.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,175

Per pupil spending ?

27.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

17017 Batchellors Forest Rd
Olney, MD 20832

(240) 740-1200

District: Montgomery County Public Schools

Students who attend William H. Farquhar Middle usually attend:

High:

Sherwood High

Feeder schools for William H. Farquhar Middle:

Elementary:	Brooke Grove Elementary
	Sherwood Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

32.8%

African American:

24.0%

Hispanic:

22.7%

See top rated Maryland middle schools

Compare William H. Farquhar Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 88th percentile in 2016 → 81st in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (55% vs 37% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 19% of Maryland middle schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school55%

District avg47%

Maryland avg37%

64^th of 342

Maryland public middle schools ?

Top 19%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From top 12% (2016) to top 19% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^th of 40Middle Schools in the Montgomery County Public Schools

8^th of 24Montgomery 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	80.7	64 of 342	81.3%	★★★★☆
2025	83.9	52 of 337	84.6%	★★★★☆
2024	75.7	65 of 328	80.2%	★★★★☆
2023	80.5	53 of 322	83.5%	★★★★☆
2022	78.4	68 of 333	79.6%	★★★★☆
2021	83.4	41 of 303	86.5%	★★★★☆
2019	78.4	67 of 316	78.8%	★★★★☆
2018	86.0	52 of 328	84.1%	★★★★☆
2017	78.7	63 of 317	80.1%	★★★★☆
2016	83.5	38 of 314	87.9%	★★★★☆
2015	78.5	61 of 315	80.6%	★★★★☆
2014	85.0	39 of 339	88.5%	★★★★☆
2013	81.3	52 of 316	83.5%	★★★★☆
2012	81.1	58 of 314	81.5%	★★★★☆
2011	82.6	45 of 309	85.4%	★★★★☆
2010	82.2	44 of 324	86.4%	★★★★☆
2009	82.9	38 of 301	87.4%	★★★★☆
2008	80.7	48 of 283	83.0%	★★★★☆
2007	14.4	225 of 264	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	17.4	209 of 254	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	15.2	219 of 255	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	23.4	202 of 252	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	77.3	36 of 259	86.1%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	40.5	77 of 116	33.6%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	79.9	49 of 303	83.8%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	63.8	54 of 207	73.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	58.9	81 of 273	70.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	74.5	64 of 288	77.8%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	69.3	34 of 136	75.0%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	46.8	59 of 120	50.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	71.3	59 of 210	71.9%	★★★★☆

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)

African American (2021)86th percentile~ school

Female (2021)84th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2021)78th percentile-9 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)75th percentile-11 vs school

Hispanic (2021)74th percentile-13 vs school

White (2021)72nd percentile-15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)70th percentile-16 vs school

Special Education (2021)51st percentile-36 vs school

Asian (2021)34th percentile-53 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

Geometry78%+33 vs state

English Language Arts72%+20 vs state

Science55%+24 vs state

Algebra I49%+27 vs state

Mathematics37%+10 vs state

★

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Schools Near William H. Farquhar Middle

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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)	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 (2025)	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 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Algebra II End of Course	MCAP Geometry End of Course	MCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
William H. Farquhar Middle	Public	6-8	17017 Batchellors Forest Rd	Olney	20832	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-1200	682	43	15.7	27.7%	224 (32.8%)	164 (24.0%)	155 (22.7%)	71 (10.4%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	64 (9.4%)	80.7	64^th of 342 public middle schools	81.3%		83.9	52^nd of 337 public middle schools	84.6%	12	37.0	14.7	2.2	37.1	63.7	79.5	71.9	72.0	48.6		77.8	55.0	$21,175	$1,072	$20,103
Argyle Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	2400 Bel Pre Rd	Silver Spring	20906	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(240) 740-6370	868	66	13.1	61.4%	60 (6.9%)	262 (30.2%)	454 (52.3%)	62 (7.1%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	26 (3.0%)	36	203^rd of 342 public middle schools	40.6%		41.3	183^rd of 337 public middle schools	45.7%	20	19.4	5.1	0.0	14.4	41.6	43.2	37.5	40.7	16.3		34.8	21.8	$18,501	$877	$17,624
Rosa M. Parks Middle	Public	6-8	19200 Olney Mill Rd	Olney	20832	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-3300	863	53	16.4	16.5%	461 (53.4%)	118 (13.7%)	142 (16.5%)	79 (9.2%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	58 (6.7%)	85.4	50^th of 342 public middle schools	85.4%		89.3	40^th of 337 public middle schools	88.1%	10	36.9	19.0	12.8	32.0	70.1	81.5	74.0	75.2	31.1		67.1	53.6	$19,235	$901	$18,334
Briggs Chaney Middle	Public	6-8	1901 Rainbow Dr	Silver Spring	20905	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 288-8300	858	59	14.6	62.0%	48 (5.6%)	444 (51.7%)	250 (29.1%)	93 (10.8%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	15 (1.7%)	36.8	201^st of 342 public middle schools	41.2%		40.2	185^th of 337 public middle schools	45.1%	16	15.8	7.2	1.4	13.5	38.3	41.4	45.9	41.8	22.9		36.0	25.4	$20,397	$991	$19,406
Parkland Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	4610 West Frankfort Dr	Rockville	20853	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(240) 740-6800	1,185	78	15.2	60.0%	85 (7.2%)	230 (19.4%)	682 (57.6%)	154 (13.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (2.8%)	55.6	136^th of 342 public middle schools	60.2%		55.5	136^th of 337 public middle schools	59.6%		27.8	7.4	7.9	25.3	48.6	52.2	51.3	50.8	43.0		63.6	36.9	$18,334	$867	$17,467
Earle B. Wood Middle	Public	6-8	14615 Bauer Dr	Rockville	20853	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-7640	1,019	74	13.7	44.7%	237 (23.3%)	139 (13.6%)	486 (47.7%)	86 (8.4%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	66 (6.5%)	66.4	108^th of 342 public middle schools	68.4%		64.5	111^th of 337 public middle schools	67.1%	3	28.7	21.7	6.2	28.9	57.7	57.3	57.2	57.4	58.8		79.0	41.7	$20,018	$948	$19,070
Redland Middle	Public	6-8	6505 Muncaster Mill Rd	Rockville	20855	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-0900	562	42	13.4	52.1%	112 (19.9%)	128 (22.8%)	230 (40.9%)	57 (10.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (6.2%)	51.6	155^th of 342 public middle schools	54.7%		52.6	146^th of 337 public middle schools	56.7%	9	31.1	7.1	4.7	25.3	45.9	50.0	50.3	48.6	43.3		46.5	28.0	$24,198	$1,088	$23,110
A. Mario Loiederman Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	12701 Goodhill Rd	Silver Spring	20906	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(240) 740-5830	978	76	12.9	62.8%	145 (14.8%)	121 (12.4%)	621 (63.5%)	42 (4.3%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	43 (4.4%)	32.7	217^th of 342 public middle schools	36.5%		33.4	208^th of 337 public middle schools	38.3%	9	14.6	7.6	3.8	11.1	37.2	46.4	36.7	40.2	15.7		28.1	16.6	$19,728	$955	$18,773
Benjamin Banneker Middle	Public	6-8	14800 Perrywood Dr	Burtonsville	20866	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-6250	705	58	12.1	51.9%	23 (3.3%)	419 (59.4%)	182 (25.8%)	64 (9.1%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (1.8%)	28.4	236^th of 342 public middle schools	31.0%		29	228^th of 337 public middle schools	32.3%	8	9.7	3.2	5.7	13.0	34.0	44.6	34.9	37.9	52.1		72.2	15.2	$19,960	$921	$19,039
Odessa Shannon Middle	Public	6-8	11800 Monticello Ave	Silver Spring	20902	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-4150	784	61	12.7	55.6%	35 (4.5%)	186 (23.7%)	497 (63.4%)	47 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	17 (2.2%)	22.1	272^nd of 342 public middle schools	20.5%		22.4	264^th of 337 public middle schools	21.7%	8	9.5	3.9	2.1	9.9	27.0	39.5	29.6	32.0	31.6		58.3	11.6	$22,692	$1,992	$20,701

Frequently Asked Questions about William H. Farquhar Middle

How many students attend William H. Farquhar Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 682 students attended William H. Farquhar Middle.

Is William H. Farquhar Middle a good school?

William H. Farquhar Middle ranks 64^th of 342 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of William H. Farquhar Middle?

Students at William H. Farquhar Middle are 33% White, 24% African American, 23% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 9% Two or more races.

What district is William H. Farquhar Middle in?

Montgomery County Public Schools

What high school do graduates of William H. Farquhar Middle attend?

Students who attend William H. Farquhar Middle usually go on to attend Sherwood High

Rate William H. Farquhar Middle!

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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.