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South Hagerstown High

Public, Magnet Grades 9-12
137th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 227 Maryland High Schools
Better than 40% of Maryland high schools
Summary

South Hagerstown High in Hagerstown, MD, is a large urban school serving 1,690 students in grades 9-12 within the Washington County Public Schools district, where a high percentage of students (67.5%) come from low-income households.

Academically, South Hagerstown faces significant challenges, particularly in math, where only 13.8% of students are proficient—less than half the district average of 29.3%. However, there is a notable bright spot in English Language Arts (ELA), where 50.2% of students meet proficiency, nearly matching the state average of 51.7%. The school's graduation rate is critically low at 79.3%, the lowest among comparable comprehensive high schools in the district, and its dropout rate of 18.7% is more than double the district average. Chronic absenteeism affects nearly half of the student body (49.8%), the highest rate among nearby schools. For context, North Hagerstown High, just three miles away, has a dropout rate of only 3.7% and lower chronic absenteeism (35.9%). Meanwhile, Boonsboro High boasts a 94.6% graduation rate and 20.6% chronic absenteeism, highlighting stark differences within the same district.

These struggles are not due to a lack of funding, as South Hagerstown's per-student spending ($15,042) is comparable to higher-performing peers like Williamsport High ($17,239). Instead, the school's persistent, multi-year crisis—with graduation rates stuck in the 76-80% range for five years—suggests deep-seated challenges tied to high poverty and non-academic barriers. In contrast, the nearby Barbara Ingram School for the Arts, a magnet school with a lower poverty rate (29.7%), achieves dramatically different outcomes, including 84.9% ELA proficiency and a 5-star rating. This comparison underscores how specialized programs and different student demographics can shape school performance.

1,690
Students ?
17.6
Student/teacher ratio ?
$15,042
Per pupil spending ?
67.5%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 1101 S Potomac St
       Hagerstown, MD  21740-7322

(301) 766-8369

District: Washington County Public Schools


Feeder schools for South Hagerstown High:

Elementary:    Bester Elementary
    Eastern Elementary
    Emma K. Doub Elementary
    Ruth Ann Monroe Primary
    More...
Middle:    E. Russell Hicks Middle
Racial breakdown:

White:
32.4%
African American:
29.5%
Hispanic:
23.8%
more
 See top rated Maryland high schools

 Compare South Hagerstown High to nearby high schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Holding steady — 39th percentile in 2015 → 40th in 2026
Worth a look
!Test scores below the Maryland average (22% vs 38% meeting standards)
!Mathematics scores 13 pts below the Maryland average
!Near the bottom of Washington County Public Schools's ranking
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school22%
District avg40%
Maryland avg38%
137th of 227
Maryland public high schools ?
Bottom 40%▼ down 9 pts since 2016
From bottom 49% (2016) to bottom 40% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of Maryland High Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
8th of 8High Schools in the Washington County Public Schools
10th of 25Washington 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankMaryland percentileRating
202631.8137 of 22739.6%★★☆☆☆
202526.8144 of 22034.5%★★☆☆☆
202437.493 of 14636.3%★★☆☆☆
202327.6109 of 12714.2%★☆☆☆☆
202232.6133 of 22540.9%★★☆☆☆
201930.6107 of 13822.5%★☆☆☆☆
201842.194 of 19752.3%★★★☆☆
201728.6125 of 18030.6%★★☆☆☆
201649.7119 of 23348.9%★★☆☆☆
201543.4143 of 23338.6%★★☆☆☆
201460.4135 of 23141.6%★★☆☆☆
201338.3126 of 18531.9%★★☆☆☆
201248.4120 of 18735.8%★★☆☆☆
201158.393 of 18349.2%★★★☆☆
201070.979 of 22064.1%★★★☆☆
200965.7101 of 21352.6%★★★☆☆
200860.6118 of 21444.9%★★☆☆☆
200762.380 of 20961.7%★★★☆☆
200654.395 of 20453.4%★★★☆☆
200549.4106 of 20448.0%★★☆☆☆
200455.945 of 20177.6%★★★★☆
By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?
English Language Arts50%~ state avg
Geometry41%-3 vs state
Mathematics14%-13 vs state
Algebra I12%-10 vs state

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Schools Near South Hagerstown High

Ranking:
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E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private






Frequently Asked Questions about South Hagerstown High

South Hagerstown High ranks 137th of 227 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,690 students attended South Hagerstown High.

South Hagerstown High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bester Elementary
Elementary : Eastern Elementary
Elementary : Emma K. Doub Elementary
Elementary : Ruth Ann Monroe Primary
Elementary : Salem Avenue Elementary
Middle : E. Russell Hicks Middle

Students at South Hagerstown High are 32% White, 29% African American, 24% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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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.

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