Schools in Zip Code 20706

The 12 schools in zip code 20706, serving the Lanham, Seabrook, and Glenarden areas, are all part of the Prince George's County Public Schools district and present a stark contrast between a few high-performing magnet and charter schools and a majority of neighborhood schools facing significant challenges.

The standout school is Glenarden Woods Elementary, ranked 2nd in Maryland with extraordinary 91.1% English proficiency and 83% math proficiency. Another strong option is Robert Goddard Montessori, a 4-star school with 76.4% English proficiency and notably strong middle school scores. Legends Public Charter School produces competitive English scores despite a high student-to-teacher ratio. The most improved school is Gaywood Elementary, which jumped from the 15th to 31st percentile. In contrast, struggling schools like James McHenry Elementary, Magnolia Elementary, and Judge Sylvania W. Woods Senior Elementary have poverty rates above 90% and proficiency rates in the single digits. Duval High, the only high school, serves 2,522 students with a 95.9% poverty rate and a 38.5% chronic absenteeism rate.

Key metrics show an average free/reduced lunch rate of 79.1%, average math proficiency of 22.5%, and average English proficiency of 45.1%. A fascinating anomaly is Thomas Johnson Middle, which has low overall math (9%) but an astonishing 57.9% proficiency in Algebra I—nearly three times the state average. Spending does not correlate with performance, as top-ranked Glenarden Woods spends $16,503 per student while lower-performing Catherine T. Reed Elementary spends $23,937. Chronic absenteeism is a powerful indicator, with the top three schools having the lowest rates (5.1% to 18%) and the bottom three having the highest (31.5% to 38.5%).