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

Stephen Decatur Middle

Q: Is Stephen Decatur Middle a good school?

Stephen Decatur Middle ranks 250 th of 337 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

250^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 337 Maryland Middle Schools

Better than 26% of Maryland middle schools

Summary

Stephen Decatur Middle is a public middle school located in Clinton, Maryland, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 733 students. The school is part of the Prince George's County Public Schools district, which is ranked 22 out of 25 in Maryland and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Stephen Decatur Middle faces significant challenges, with consistently high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 31.5% to 34.8% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state and district averages. Academically, the school's performance, as measured by MCAP test scores, is also significantly lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 4.2% of students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 13.1% in the district and 26.5% statewide. The school has a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 70.94% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2023-2024 school year.

When comparing Stephen Decatur Middle to the nearby schools in the same district, it consistently performs worse academically. For instance, in the 2024-2025 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in Mathematics ranged from 10.2% at Kettering Middle to only 4.2% at Stephen Decatur Middle. The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Addressing these issues will require a comprehensive approach, including targeted interventions to improve attendance and academic achievement, as well as addressing the underlying socioeconomic factors that may be contributing to the school's challenges.

751

Students ?

13.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,636

Per pupil spending ?

75.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8200 Pinewood Dr
Clinton, MD 20735-1487

(301) 449-4950

District: Prince George's County Public Schools

Feeder schools for Stephen Decatur Middle:

Elementary:	Francis T. Evans Elementary
	James Ryder Randall Elementary
	Waldon Woods Elementary

Racial breakdown:

African American:

65.5%

Hispanic:

29.2%

White:

2.3%

See top rated Maryland middle schools

Compare Stephen Decatur Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 32nd percentile in 2022 → 26th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (19% vs 37% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 32nd-percentile peak (2022) to 26th (2025)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school19%

District avg25%

Maryland avg37%

250^th of 337

Maryland public middle schools ?

Bottom 26%▲ up 19 pts since 2015

From bottom 7% (2015) to bottom 26% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

12^th of 24Middle 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
2025	24.5	250 of 337	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.7	232 of 328	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.2	269 of 322	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.2	226 of 333	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	23.3	237 of 303	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.5	260 of 316	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.7	266 of 328	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	17.2	265 of 317	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	18.3	256 of 314	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	11.8	294 of 315	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	22.7	260 of 339	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	19.1	270 of 316	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	24.2	245 of 314	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	26.3	243 of 309	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	34.2	243 of 324	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	27.3	241 of 301	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	34.4	208 of 283	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	77.7	61 of 264	76.9%	★★★★☆
2006	76.7	56 of 254	78.0%	★★★★☆
2005	79.5	51 of 255	80.0%	★★★★☆
2004	78.5	51 of 252	79.8%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	28.0	201 of 259	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	23.5	236 of 303	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	23.3	181 of 207	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	20.4	248 of 273	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	20.2	240 of 288	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	6.0	26 of 27	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)22nd percentile~ school

Female (2021)22nd percentile~ school

Male (2021)17th percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2021)13th percentile-9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)9th percentile-13 vs school

Military Connected (2021)4th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts36%-15 vs state

Science16%-15 vs state

Social Studies16%-23 vs state

Algebra I13%-8 vs state

Mathematics4%-22 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Stephen Decatur Middle

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

What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, August 22, 2013

Horrible place. Wish my child never step foot in this school. Close Quote

Schools Near Stephen Decatur Middle

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCAP Mathematics (2025)				MCAP English Language Arts (2025)				MCAP Algebra I (2025)	MCAP Science (2025)	MCAP Social Studies (2025)	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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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 Science 8th Grade	MCAP Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Stephen Decatur Middle	Public	6-8	8200 Pinewood Dr	Clinton	20735	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 449-4950	751	56	13.5	75.1%	17 (2.3%)	492 (65.5%)	219 (29.2%)	11 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	10 (1.3%)	24.5	250^th of 337 public middle schools	25.8%		23.7	232^nd of 328 public middle schools	29.3%	18	5.0	3.3	2.6	4.2	42.5	35.0	30.4	35.9	13.2	16.5	16.0	$21,636	$1,232	$20,404
Thurgood Marshall Middle	Public	6-8	4909 Brinkley Rd	Temple Hills	20748	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 702-7540	707	43	16.4	93.5%	4 (0.6%)	390 (55.2%)	292 (41.3%)	9 (1.3%)	7 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.7%)	21.7	268^th of 337 public middle schools	20.5%		15.3	278^th of 328 public middle schools	15.2%	10	2.5	7.9	6.5	5.8	31.6	22.7	28.2	27.5		9.3	18.8	$18,581	$1,063	$17,518
James Madison Middle	Public	6-8	7300 Woodyard Road	Upper Marlboro	20772	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 599-2422	800	50	16.1	63.5%	18 (2.3%)	608 (76.0%)	154 (19.3%)	7 (0.9%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (1.1%)	22.2	266^th of 337 public middle schools	21.1%		25.3	224^th of 328 public middle schools	31.7%	42	3.9	2.3	1.9	2.8	44.5	29.8	34.2	35.7	7.1	10.4	12.5	$17,099	$955	$16,144
Benjamin Stoddert Middle	Public	6-8	2501 Olson St	Temple Hills	20748	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 702-7500	628	44	14.2	94.7%	1 (0.2%)	414 (65.9%)	197 (31.4%)	7 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	5 (0.8%)	13.9	311^th of 337 public middle schools	7.7%		15	282^nd of 328 public middle schools	14.0%	29	3.1	1.4	0.0	1.6	25.4	31.8	19.9	25.7	3.2	4.3	6.0	$20,396	$1,654	$18,742
Gwynn Park Middle	Public	6-8	8000 Dyson Rd	Brandywine	20613	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 372-0120	702	39	18.0	56.1%	27 (3.8%)	537 (76.5%)	110 (15.7%)	6 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.0%)	26.2	239^th of 337 public middle schools	29.1%		21.1	246^th of 328 public middle schools	25.0%	7	3.9	11.4	1.0	6.1	39.7	37.0	30.2	35.7	14.8	13.5	21.0	$18,265	$1,018	$17,247
Drew-Freeman Middle	Public	6-8	2600 Brooks Dr	District Heights	20747	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 817-0900	1,022	64	15.9	96.6%	10 (1.0%)	744 (72.8%)	258 (25.2%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.5%)	12.4	320^th of 337 public middle schools	5.0%		8.4	315^th of 328 public middle schools	4.0%	5	3.9	3.4	1.7	2.9	19.2	20.8	11.6	17.1		4.2	5.8	$19,355	$1,929	$17,426
Oxon Hill Middle	Public	6-8	9570 Fort Foote Rd	Fort Washington	20744	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 749-4270	773	59	13.1	94.3%	13 (1.7%)	246 (31.8%)	485 (62.7%)	25 (3.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	22.6	261^st of 337 public middle schools	22.6%		18.3	262^nd of 328 public middle schools	20.1%	1	7.5	3.2	2.7	4.4	42.8	32.4	31.1	35.3	2.6	11.8	7.8	$19,366	$1,706	$17,660
Walker Mill Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	800 Karen Blvd	Capitol Heights	20743	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 808-4055	1,054	66	16.0	75.6%	24 (2.3%)	722 (68.5%)	281 (26.7%)	9 (0.9%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	15 (1.4%)	36.2	199^th of 337 public middle schools	40.9%		30.7	201^st of 328 public middle schools	38.7%	2	18.1	12.4	4.5	13.3	38.5	42.7	35.5	39.0	31.3	22.1	22.6	$17,956	$985	$16,972
G. James Gholson Middle	Public	6-8	900 Nalley Rd	Landover	20785	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 883-8390	603	49	12.3	95.2%	7 (1.2%)	381 (63.2%)	213 (35.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	15.4	305^th of 337 public middle schools	9.5%		8.9	310^th of 328 public middle schools	5.5%	5	1.6	6.3	3.6	3.9	21.0	28.9	19.7	23.0		4.8	5.7	$17,635	$1,784	$15,851
Mattawoman Middle School	Public	6-8	10145 Berry Rd	Waldorf	20603	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 645-7708	862	49	17.5	54.2%	31 (3.6%)	614 (71.2%)	117 (13.6%)	41 (4.8%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	56 (6.5%)	29.4	225^th of 337 public middle schools	33.2%		22	241^st of 328 public middle schools	26.5%	16	7.9	13.1	4.9	10.1	37.9	42.9	37.0	39.2	17.2	12.0	12.1	$15,536	$760	$14,776

Frequently Asked Questions about Stephen Decatur Middle

What district is Stephen Decatur Middle in?

Prince George's County Public Schools

Is Stephen Decatur Middle a good school?

Stephen Decatur Middle ranks 250^th of 337 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Stephen Decatur Middle?

Students at Stephen Decatur Middle are 66% African American, 29% Hispanic, 2% White, 1% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

How many students attend Stephen Decatur Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 751 students attended Stephen Decatur Middle.

Rate Stephen Decatur Middle!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

MDMaryland Middle School Rankings

MDMaryland District Rankings

Schools in Clinton, MD

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Stephen Decatur Middle!

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.