Summary:
There is one middle school, Martin Luther King Junior Middle, serving grades 6 through 8 in zip code 20705, located in Beltsville, MD, and part of the Prince George's County Public Schools district.
Martin Luther King Junior Middle has 605 students and a 2-star rating for the 2025-2026 school year. The school shows a stark contrast between subjects: English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency is a relative strength at 41.1%, outperforming the district average of 38.9%, while overall math proficiency is critically low at just 7.9%, well below the district's 13.7%. However, the school dramatically excels in advanced math, with 34.8% of students proficient in Algebra I—more than triple the district average. This suggests a strong program for high-achieving students, but a significant challenge for the general student body in standard math courses. The school also outperforms its district in 8th-grade Social Studies (33.5% vs. 20.8%) and has a lower chronic absenteeism rate (22.2% vs. 30.2%), a positive sign for student engagement.
Despite spending $20,284 per student—a high figure—academic outcomes in math and science remain well below state averages, raising questions about resource allocation. The school serves a high-poverty population, with 88.6% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch. On a positive note, the school's state ranking has been improving over the last three years, moving from the 28th percentile to the 36th percentile, indicating an upward trajectory. For parents, this school offers a strong ELA program and advanced math opportunities for select students, but the overall math performance is a critical area of concern that warrants close attention.
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