Summary:
Zip code 20657 in Lusby, Maryland, is served by two elementary schools—Patuxent Appeal Elementary Campus and Dowell Elementary—both part of the high-performing Calvert County Public Schools district, which ranks 3rd out of 25 districts in Maryland.
When comparing the two schools, Dowell Elementary stands out as the more efficient option. It spends $3,313 less per student ($17,732 vs. $21,045) yet achieves higher proficiency in several key areas, including overall Math (37.5% vs. 37.2%), overall English Language Arts (49.7% vs. 47.0%), and 5th Grade Science (42.7% vs. 35.6%). Patuxent Appeal Elementary Campus serves a higher-need population, with 59.75% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch compared to 47.32% at Dowell, and its higher spending likely addresses those challenges rather than directly boosting test scores. Both schools face a shared challenge with chronic absenteeism—22.6% at Patuxent and 22.0% at Dowell—well above the district average of 17.3%. Additionally, both schools significantly underperform in English Language Arts compared to the district average (66.6%), indicating a systemic need for literacy support in this zip code.
Despite these challenges, both schools perform at or above the state average in Math and Science, a notable achievement given their above-average poverty rates and high absenteeism. Dowell Elementary shows stronger growth in 5th grade, with higher scores in both Math (31.3% vs. 26.7%) and Science (42.7% vs. 35.6%) compared to Patuxent Appeal Elementary Campus. Overall, while neither school is a top-tier performer statewide (ranking in the 57th and 61st percentiles), they are performing well relative to the challenges they face, making Dowell the stronger choice for academic efficiency and Patuxent a school that invests heavily in supporting its students.
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