Best Public Schools in Zip Code 20646

The five public schools in zip code 20646 (La Plata, MD), part of the Charles County Public Schools district, serve approximately 3,404 students across elementary, middle, and high school levels, revealing a community with strong elementary math foundations but a dramatic "math cliff" in secondary grades.

Mary H. Matula Elementary School stands out as the top academic performer, exceeding state averages in both Math (38.5% proficiency) and English Language Arts (56.6% proficiency), while Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School also performs well with 37.6% Math proficiency. However, secondary schools struggle significantly: La Plata High School presents a paradox with the area's lowest Math scores (5.3% proficiency) yet highest ELA scores (63% proficiency) and a stellar 94.7% graduation rate. Phoenix International School of the Arts showed the most dramatic improvement, nearly doubling its ELA proficiency from 30.1% to 42.5% in one year, though Math remains critically low at 4.4%. Milton M. Somers Middle School offers a more balanced profile with 17.3% Math proficiency and solid ELA scores.

Key takeaways for parents: Elementary schools provide excellent math foundations, but middle schools fail to sustain this progress. La Plata High School excels at literacy and student retention despite math challenges, while Phoenix International is rapidly improving but still struggling. All schools maintain chronic absenteeism rates below the district average of 26.6%, with Phoenix International the lowest at 19.5%. Per-student spending varies from $17,385 at La Plata High to $20,021 at Matula Elementary, suggesting resource allocation matters more than total spending. The district's 20th percentile ranking statewide underscores systemic challenges, but individual schools show clear strengths in specific areas.