Best High Schools in Zip Code 20603

Zip code 20603 in Waldorf, Maryland, is home to two public high schools, North Point High School and Westlake High School, both part of the Charles County Public Schools district, serving grades 9 through 12 with a combined enrollment of about 3,176 students.

North Point High School is the clear standout in this area, ranking 97th out of 227 Maryland high schools (57th percentile) with a 3-star rating, while Westlake ranks 161st (29th percentile) with a 2-star rating. North Point excels in English Language Arts (ELA), with 69.8% of students proficient—far exceeding both the district (45.6%) and state (51.7%) averages. In contrast, Westlake’s ELA proficiency is 48.2%, above the district but below the state. Both schools struggle significantly with math: North Point has only 6.0% proficiency and Westlake 3.6%, compared to the state average of 27.1%. North Point also has a much lower chronic absenteeism rate (20.6%) versus Westlake (35.3%), which is nearly 9 points worse than the already-high district average of 26.6%. Per-student spending is nearly identical at about $17,640, showing that funding alone does not explain the performance gap.

Key takeaways for parents include the stark contrast in academic outcomes despite similar funding, with North Point outperforming Westlake in nearly every metric. The severe math weakness at both schools suggests a district-wide challenge. Westlake faces additional hurdles with higher poverty (51.15% free/reduced lunch vs. 35.77% at North Point) and significantly more chronic absenteeism, which directly correlates with lower test scores. While North Point’s ranking has declined slightly from a high of 39th in 2023-2024, Westlake has shown a small upward trend from a 1-star to a 2-star rating. For families, North Point offers stronger academics and attendance, while Westlake may be improving but still faces substantial obstacles.