Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

James McHenry Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

810^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 6% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

James McHenry Elementary is a public school in Lanham, MD, serving 610 students from Pre-K through 5th grade as part of the Prince George's County Public Schools district, where over 91% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school faces significant challenges, with academic performance ranking in the bottom 6% of Maryland elementary schools—far below nearby schools like Gaywood Elementary and Ardmore Elementary, which rank in the 30th-37th percentile. Math proficiency is a critical concern, with only 8.1% of students meeting standards compared to the state average of 27.1%, while English Language Arts proficiency stands at 22.4% versus the state's 51.7%.

Chronic absenteeism is a major crisis at James McHenry, with 31.5% of students missing significant school time in the 2024-2025 school year—higher than the district average and notably worse than Seabrook Elementary (20.6%) and Lamont Elementary (26.2%). However, there is a positive trend: chronic absenteeism has dropped from 39.6% in 2020-2021, suggesting school efforts are making a difference. A troubling pattern emerges in 5th grade, where only 2.7% of students are proficient in Math and 6.4% in Science, indicating students fall further behind as they progress. The school spends $20,291 per student, higher than Seabrook Elementary's $19,067, yet achieves much lower results, pointing to potential issues with how resources are used.

An interesting contrast is Glenarden Woods Elementary, just 1.77 miles away, which ranks in the top 5% of Maryland schools with 83% Math and 91% ELA proficiency, serving a population with lower economic need (47.3% free/reduced lunch) and only 8.2% chronic absenteeism. This highlights how family circumstances strongly influence school outcomes. Despite overall low performance, James McHenry showed relative strength for its African American students in 2020-2021, earning a 2-star rating—the only subgroup to do so. The school's consistent gap between ELA and Math performance suggests a systemic issue with math instruction that is more acute here than at peers like Gaywood Elementary or Ardmore Elementary.

610

Students ?

12.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,291

Per pupil spending ?

91.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8909 Mchenry Ln
Lanham, MD 20706-4149

(301) 918-8760

District: Prince George's County Public Schools

Students who attend James McHenry Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Thomas Johnson Middle
High:	Duval High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

75.6%

African American:

21.1%

White:

2.0%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare James McHenry Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 16th percentile in 2016 → 6th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (14% vs 39% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 10 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school14%

District avg25%

Maryland avg39%

810^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 6%▼ down 10 pts since 2016

From bottom 16% (2016) to bottom 6% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

119^th of 135Elementary Schools in the Prince George's County Public Schools

22^nd of 25Prince George's 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	11.1	810 of 864	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.3	789 of 865	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.1	817 of 859	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.1	748 of 855	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.8	724 of 862	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.9	701 of 802	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.2	676 of 853	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.3	742 of 857	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	15.8	720 of 847	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	17.4	706 of 845	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	12.7	801 of 859	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	29.2	677 of 867	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	11.2	795 of 847	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	12.8	780 of 857	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	12.9	784 of 853	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	29.8	675 of 855	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	37.1	606 of 850	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	38.7	591 of 838	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	74.2	196 of 818	76.0%	★★★★☆
2006	82.8	105 of 804	86.9%	★★★★☆
2005	79.9	141 of 805	82.5%	★★★★☆
2004	82.4	114 of 803	85.8%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	39.6	289 of 504	42.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	23.0	593 of 796	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	28.2	259 of 347	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	31.3	406 of 546	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	13.7	736 of 788	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)43rd percentile+30 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)26th percentile+13 vs school

Female (2021)26th percentile+13 vs school

Hispanic (2021)25th percentile+13 vs school

Male (2021)7th percentile-6 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts22%-29 vs state

Mathematics8%-19 vs state

Science6%-26 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate James McHenry Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate James McHenry Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near James McHenry Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

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 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 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th 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 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 Science 5th Grade	MCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
James McHenry Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8909 Mchenry Ln	Lanham	20706	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 918-8760	610	47	12.8	91.6%	12 (2.0%)	129 (21.1%)	461 (75.6%)	3 (0.5%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	11.1	810^th of 864 public elementary schools	6.3%		13.3	789^th of 865 public elementary schools	8.8%	21	13.0	9.3	2.7				8.1	22.2	25.9	20.0				22.4		6.4		$20,291	$1,721	$18,570
Legends Public Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	9700 Philadelphia Court	Lanham	20706	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	Yes	No	No	No	(240) 455-5900	897	39	23.0	65.8%	10 (1.1%)	741 (82.6%)	118 (13.2%)	7 (0.8%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	16 (1.8%)	38.3	495^th of 864 public elementary schools	42.7%		27.3	583^rd of 865 public elementary schools	32.6%	88	43.3	7.7	9.9	9.9	6.8	3.9	13.5	48.5	33.0	44.6	48.5	47.6	51.1	45.6	2.4	31.7	28.3	$22,465	$2,144	$20,321
Seabrook Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6001 Seabrook Rd	Seabrook	20706	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 918-8542	365	27	13.7	90.7%	9 (2.5%)	130 (35.6%)	208 (57.0%)	6 (1.6%)	7 (1.9%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.8%)	31.5	560^th of 864 public elementary schools	35.2%		40.2	481^st of 865 public elementary schools	44.4%	79	34.5	28.6	8.5				24.8	37.9	36.4	38.3				37.5		16.3		$19,067	$1,574	$17,493
Carrollton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8300 Quintana St	New Carrollton	20784	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 918-8708	539	39	13.9	92.9%	39 (7.2%)	135 (25.0%)	352 (65.3%)	3 (0.6%)	6 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	13.7	769^th of 864 public elementary schools	11.0%		15	753^rd of 865 public elementary schools	12.9%	16	27.1	3.9	5.1				11.7	34.1	16.8	20.5				23.5		5.1		$18,269	$1,621	$16,648
Gaywood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6701 97th Ave	Lanham	20706	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 918-8730	525	40	13.1	90.5%	11 (2.1%)	130 (24.8%)	360 (68.6%)	13 (2.5%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.5%)	28	597^th of 864 public elementary schools	30.9%		30.4	553^rd of 865 public elementary schools	36.1%	44	37.7	21.7	6.3				21.7	35.9	47.6	26.6				36.8		7.7		$22,154	$1,886	$20,267
Ardmore Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9301 Ardwick Ardmore Rd	Springdale	20774	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 925-1311	470	41	11.6	92.3%	7 (1.5%)	330 (70.2%)	122 (26.0%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.1%)	27.2	605^th of 864 public elementary schools	30.0%		32.1	543^rd of 865 public elementary schools	37.2%	62	34.7	14.5	11.3				20.1	40.3	22.4	32.9				31.7		26.1		$22,839	$1,275	$21,564
Glenarden Woods Elementary	Public, Magnet	2-5	7801 Glenarden Pkwy	Lanham	20706	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 925-1300	516	30	17.4	47.3%	74 (14.3%)	284 (55.0%)	81 (15.7%)	45 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (6.2%)	98.7	2^nd of 864 public elementary schools	99.8%		99.1	1^st of 865 public elementary schools	99.9%	1	83.5	83.3	82.1				83.0	85.6	89.9	97.8				91.1		86.4		$16,503	$823	$15,680
Magnolia Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8400 Nightingale Dr	Lanham	20706	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 918-8770	442	28	15.7	91.9%	23 (5.2%)	276 (62.4%)	96 (21.7%)	24 (5.4%)	9 (2.0%)	3 (0.7%)	11 (2.5%)	12.9	785^th of 864 public elementary schools	9.1%		12.4	804^th of 865 public elementary schools	7.1%	19	12.5	3.0	6.6				7.4	29.7	19.4	27.6				25.8		8.0		$18,599	$1,012	$17,587
Lamont Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7101 Good Luck Rd	New Carrollton	20784	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 513-5205	460	38	12.1	92.6%	55 (12.0%)	122 (26.5%)	256 (55.7%)	14 (3.0%)	9 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	28.7	587^th of 864 public elementary schools	32.1%		28.6	565^th of 865 public elementary schools	34.7%	22	17.8	21.3	15.4				18.1	31.5	29.5	43.1				34.7		29.2		$23,372	$2,735	$20,637
Robert Goddard Montessori	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-8	9850 Good Luck Rd	Seabrook	20706	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 918-3515	464	33	14.2	38.1%	121 (26.1%)	261 (56.3%)	41 (8.8%)	22 (4.7%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.4%)	79	188^th of 864 public elementary schools	78.2%		79.4	188^th of 865 public elementary schools	78.3%		50.0	29.5	37.5	64.3	64.0	26.7	48.2	80.8	61.4	68.8	89.3	90.0	77.1	76.4	65.0	62.5	57.1	$20,793	$922	$19,872

Frequently Asked Questions about James McHenry Elementary

How many students attend James McHenry Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 610 students attended James McHenry Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of James McHenry Elementary?

Students at James McHenry Elementary are 76% Hispanic, 21% African American, 2% White.

What schools do graduates of James McHenry Elementary attend?

Students who attend James McHenry Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Thomas Johnson Middle
High : Duval High

What district is James McHenry Elementary in?

Prince George's County Public Schools

Is James McHenry Elementary a good school?

James McHenry Elementary ranks in the bottom 6.3% of Maryland elementary schools.

Rate James McHenry Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MDMaryland Elementary School Rankings

MDMaryland District Rankings

Schools in Lanham, MD

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for James McHenry Elementary!

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.