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Esperanza Middle

Q: Is Esperanza Middle a good school?

Esperanza Middle ranks 74 th of 342 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

74^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 342 Maryland Middle Schools

Better than 78% of Maryland middle schools

Summary

Esperanza Middle in Lexington Park, MD, serves 835 students in grades 6-8 and is part of St. Mary's County Public Schools, a district ranked 7th out of 25 in Maryland. The school has earned a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger for six of the last seven years, with a state ranking around the 78th percentile, and 42.75% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, reflecting moderate economic diversity.

Esperanza stands out for its exceptional performance in Algebra I, with 74.4% of students proficient on the End-of-Course exam—nearly three times the district average (25.6%) and over 3.5 times the state average (21.3%). This sustained success over four years highlights a strong advanced math program. However, grade-level math results vary: 7th graders outperform the district (44.5% vs. 38.7%), but 6th graders lag behind (31.4% vs. 36.3%), suggesting a need for stronger foundational support. Chronic absenteeism is a concern at 28.0%, but it mirrors the district average (27.3%) and is much higher than nearby Calvert County schools like Calvert Middle (13.4%) and Mill Creek Middle (13.8%), indicating a district-wide challenge rather than a school-specific issue.

Esperanza consistently outperforms its St. Mary's County peer Spring Ridge Middle (56th percentile) and Calvert County schools like Southern Middle (48th percentile) and Mill Creek Middle (59th percentile), but trails Leonardtown Middle (88th percentile), which has higher proficiency and lower absenteeism. Per-student spending ($16,699) is in line with St. Mary's County peers but lower than Calvert County schools (e.g., Southern Middle: $20,483), suggesting efficient resource use. The school's strong Algebra I scores boost its overall ranking, but this may mask challenges for students in standard grade-level math, particularly in 6th and 8th grades.

835

Students ?

15.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,699

Per pupil spending ?

42.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

22790 Maple Rd
Lexington Park, MD 20653-9447

(301) 863-4016

District: St. Mary's County Public Schools

Students who attend Esperanza Middle usually attend:

High:

Leonardtown High

Feeder schools for Esperanza Middle:

Elementary:	Green Holly Elementary School
	Greenview Knolls Elementary
	Hollywood Elementary
	Town Creek Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.4%

African American:

27.2%

Two or more races:

10.3%

See top rated Maryland middle schools

Compare Esperanza Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 73rd percentile in 2016 → 78th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (48% vs 37% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of Maryland middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school48%

District avg45%

Maryland avg37%

74^th of 342

Maryland public middle schools ?

Top 22%▲ up 5 pts since 2016

From top 27% (2016) to top 22% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 4Middle Schools in the St. Mary's County Public Schools

7^th of 24St. Mary'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	75.9	74 of 342	78.4%	★★★★☆
2025	69.3	97 of 337	71.2%	★★★★☆
2024	74.2	70 of 328	78.7%	★★★★☆
2023	73.3	67 of 322	79.2%	★★★★☆
2022	77.0	73 of 333	78.1%	★★★★☆
2021	66.4	80 of 303	73.6%	★★★★☆
2019	61.3	110 of 316	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.8	106 of 328	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	72.2	80 of 317	74.8%	★★★★☆
2016	69.2	84 of 314	73.2%	★★★★☆
2015	74.9	71 of 315	77.5%	★★★★☆
2014	74.3	91 of 339	73.2%	★★★★☆
2013	66.6	109 of 316	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	70.2	102 of 314	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	70.8	93 of 309	69.9%	★★★★☆
2010	74.2	92 of 324	71.6%	★★★★☆
2009	73.7	85 of 301	71.8%	★★★★☆
2008	72.3	94 of 283	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	31.5	184 of 264	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2006	34.3	171 of 254	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2005	36.7	168 of 255	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2004	39.5	161 of 252	36.1%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	30.1	187 of 259	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	47.8	63 of 116	45.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	69.6	66 of 303	78.2%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	80.1	15 of 207	92.8%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	31.7	210 of 273	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	59.2	98 of 288	66.0%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	49.6	16 of 27	40.7%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	39.7	76 of 136	44.1%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	38.3	76 of 120	36.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	48.4	111 of 210	47.1%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2021)93rd percentile+19 vs school

Female (2021)78th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2021)66th percentile-8 vs school

White (2021)47th percentile-26 vs school

Asian (2021)46th percentile-28 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)44th percentile-29 vs school

Military Connected (2021)41st percentile-33 vs school

Special Education (2021)37th percentile-37 vs school

African American (2021)28th percentile-46 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)23rd percentile-51 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

Algebra I74%+53 vs state

English Language Arts57%+6 vs state

Science42%+11 vs state

Mathematics37%+10 vs state

4.0

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What people are saying

by a student
Sunday, April 5, 2020

My favorite school. We enjoyed a variety of plays, musical performances, school events! Close Quote

Schools Near Esperanza 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 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 Geometry End of Course	MCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Esperanza Middle	Public	6-8	22790 Maple Rd	Lexington Park	20653	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 863-4016	835	53	15.7	42.8%	404 (48.4%)	227 (27.2%)	80 (9.6%)	33 (4.0%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	86 (10.3%)	75.9	74^th of 342 public middle schools	78.4%		69.3	97^th of 337 public middle schools	71.2%	23	31.4	44.5	16.3	36.8	57.0	60.1	54.5	57.3	74.4		42.0	$16,699	$1,090	$15,609
Mill Creek Middle	Public	6-8	12200 Southern Connector Blvd	Lusby	20657	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 550-9190	436	27	16.1	53.2%	269 (61.7%)	65 (14.9%)	24 (5.5%)	13 (3.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (14.4%)	55.2	140^th of 342 public middle schools	59.1%		56.5	131^st of 337 public middle schools	61.1%	9	18.4	17.6	17.3	21.3	49.3	46.7	53.0	49.5	43.1		32.8	$20,256	$1,446	$18,810
Leonardtown Middle	Public	6-8	24015 Point Lookout Rd	Leonardtown	20650	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 475-0230	969	56	17.3	26.3%	727 (75.0%)	90 (9.3%)	57 (5.9%)	22 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (7.5%)	86.7	40^th of 342 public middle schools	88.3%		85.2	49^th of 337 public middle schools	85.5%	9	51.7	49.7	17.0	46.1	71.0	68.9	62.7	67.5	65.6		43.2	$16,035	$943	$15,092
Spring Ridge Middle	Public	6-8	19856 Three Notch Rd	Lexington Park	20653	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 863-4031	913	61	14.9	63.7%	295 (32.3%)	324 (35.5%)	155 (17.0%)	28 (3.1%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	106 (11.6%)	52	151^st of 342 public middle schools	55.8%		44.5	173^rd of 337 public middle schools	48.7%	22	25.2	16.6	9.7	25.0	43.8	46.2	47.8	45.8	51.2	76.7	32.6	$16,552	$1,012	$15,540
Southern Middle	Public	6-8	9615 H G Trueman Rd	Lusby	20657	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 550-9250	442	31	14.2	50.5%	258 (58.4%)	93 (21.0%)	38 (8.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (11.3%)	44.1	178^th of 342 public middle schools	48.0%		37.9	192^nd of 337 public middle schools	43.0%	14	19.1	21.0	1.1	16.1	50.4	43.8	42.1	45.1	19.3		20.7	$20,483	$1,332	$19,150
Margaret Brent Middle	Public	6-8	29675 Point Lookout Rd	Mechanicsville	20659	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 884-4635	878	54	16.4	38.5%	691 (78.7%)	78 (8.9%)	40 (4.6%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	64 (7.3%)	75.4	80^th of 342 public middle schools	76.6%		67.6	102^nd of 337 public middle schools	69.7%	22	36.4	36.0	13.6	31.7	64.0	59.1	57.3	60.1	44.8		35.5	$16,197	$1,259	$14,939
Calvert Middle	Public	6-8	655 Chesapeake Blvd	Prince Frederick	20678	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 550-8970	607	44	13.9	39.5%	353 (58.2%)	113 (18.6%)	58 (9.6%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	74 (12.2%)	72.6	89^th of 342 public middle schools	74.0%		73.9	80^th of 337 public middle schools	76.3%	9	21.9	21.5	15.1	23.9	74.1	70.1	61.2	68.8	50.8		34.6	$19,027	$1,339	$17,688

Frequently Asked Questions about Esperanza Middle

How many students attend Esperanza Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 835 students attended Esperanza Middle.

Is Esperanza Middle a good school?

Esperanza Middle ranks 74^th of 342 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Esperanza Middle?

Students at Esperanza Middle are 48% White, 27% African American, 10% Two or more races, 10% Hispanic, 4% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Esperanza Middle attend?

Students who attend Esperanza Middle usually go on to attend Leonardtown High

What district is Esperanza Middle in?

St. Mary's County Public Schools

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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.