Schools in Zip Code 20640

The five public schools in zip code 20640 (Indian Head, MD) serve students from elementary through high school and are part of the Charles County Public Schools district, which has a 1-star rating and serves a predominantly low-income population with Free/Reduced Lunch rates ranging from 48.5% to 63%.

When comparing schools, J. C. Parks Elementary School stands out as the most consistent performer, being the only school where overall math proficiency (22.8%) exceeds the district average (17%), despite serving a high-poverty population. In contrast, Indian Head Elementary School is the lowest performer with the lowest ELA proficiency (32%) and highest FRL rate (63%). General Smallwood Middle School presents an interesting paradox: while only 16.6% of all students are proficient in math, an extraordinary 65.2% of students taking the Algebra I End-of-Course exam score proficient, far exceeding district and state averages. Henry E. Lackey High School faces the most significant challenges, with the highest chronic absenteeism rate (42.5%), highest dropout rate (8.0%), and lowest overall math proficiency (5.3%), though it is the only school in the area to exceed the state average in ELA proficiency (52.2% vs 51.7%).

Key takeaways for parents include that chronic absenteeism is a pervasive issue affecting three of five schools above the district average, and high spending per student (ranging from $16,878 to $21,006) does not correlate with better academic outcomes. The contrast between J. C. Parks Elementary and Indian Head Elementary—which serve similar demographics but have vastly different results—suggests that school-level leadership and instructional strategies can make a significant difference even in challenging circumstances.