Summary:
The five schools in zip code 20707 (Laurel, MD) are part of the Prince George's County Public Schools district, which ranks in the bottom 12th percentile statewide, and include one high school, three elementary schools, and one K-12 charter school.
The standout performer is Chesapeake Math and IT Public Charter, which dramatically outperforms all other local schools and the district in both English Language Arts (60.2% proficient) and Mathematics (26.6% proficient). It also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (14.1%) and the lowest percentage of students receiving free/reduced lunch (49.08%). In stark contrast, Laurel High faces severe challenges, with the highest dropout rate (20.2%), the lowest graduation rate (73.9%), and a staggering 43% chronic absenteeism rate. Its math proficiency is critically low at just 8.8%. Among the traditional elementary schools, Bond Mill Elementary is the strongest, with the highest state ranking (44th percentile) and a significantly lower free/reduced lunch rate (52.48%) compared to Scotchtown Hills Elementary and Laurel Elementary, both of which have poverty rates above 90% and correspondingly lower test scores.
A key takeaway is the direct link between poverty and performance: the two schools with roughly 50% poverty (Bond Mill and Chesapeake Math & IT) achieve far better outcomes than the three schools with over 90% poverty. Additionally, a troubling "5th grade cliff" appears at Scotchtown Hills and Bond Mill, where 5th-grade proficiency drops sharply from 3rd and 4th-grade levels. While Chesapeake Math and IT Public Charter has the highest per-student spending ($22,466), Laurel Elementary spends nearly as much ($21,445) with poor results, showing that how money is spent matters more than the total amount.
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