Summary:
Zip code 20658 (Marbury, MD) is home to a single school, Gale-Bailey Elementary School, a public school serving 344 students from Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade as part of the Charles County Public Schools district.
Gale-Bailey Elementary shows a mixed academic profile. The school's strongest area is English Language Arts (ELA), where it consistently outperforms its district average across all tested grades, with 47.6% of students proficient compared to the district's 45.6%. However, math proficiency tells a different story: while overall math scores (24.7%) exceed the district average (17%), there is a dramatic decline in 5th-grade math, where only 12.3% of students are proficient—far below both the district (18.6%) and state (30.2%) averages. Science performance in 5th grade is also a concern, with just 18.8% proficient versus 23.4% for the district and 32.4% for the state. The school spends a substantial $23,360 per student annually, yet ranks in the 45th percentile statewide (2-star rating), suggesting that high spending has not fully translated into top-tier results.
Key challenges include a high chronic absenteeism rate of 28.2% (above the district's 26.6%) and a student population where 51.74% qualify for free or reduced lunch. The student-teacher ratio is a favorable 12.2:1. The most notable finding is the "5th grade cliff" in math, where proficiency drops 22.8 percentage points from 3rd to 5th grade—a steeper decline than the district or state. This, combined with weak science scores despite strong reading skills, points to potential gaps in upper-grade math and science instruction. For parents, this school offers strong early literacy support but may require additional focus on math and science as children approach middle school.
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