Summary:
Zip code 20711 in Lothian, Maryland, is home to two public schools—Southern Middle School and Lothian Elementary School—both part of the Anne Arundel County Public Schools district, serving students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade in a suburban-rural community.
Southern Middle School stands out as the higher-performing school overall, earning a consistent 3-star state ranking for three consecutive years. Its standout feature is Algebra I: 88.2% of students taking the course are proficient, far exceeding district (26.3%) and state (21.3%) averages. However, overall math proficiency across all grades is just 21.4%, revealing a two-tiered math environment where advanced students thrive while others struggle. The school spends $17,906 per student and has a 47.52% free/reduced lunch rate. In contrast, Lothian Elementary School spends more per student ($19,413) but has lower overall test scores and a more volatile state ranking, earning 2 stars in two of the last three years. Its 61.71% free/reduced lunch rate indicates higher socioeconomic need, and the additional spending likely goes toward support services rather than directly boosting academics.
A key concern is the performance gap between the two schools, which are likely part of the same feeder pattern. Lothian Elementary’s 5th graders show only 14.6% math proficiency and 36.6% ELA proficiency, and when they move to Southern Middle, 6th grade math proficiency drops to 12.6%, suggesting academic challenges persist. Chronic absenteeism is a shared issue, with Southern Middle at 22.2% and Lothian Elementary at 19.5%, both at or above the district average of 19.9%. On a positive note, Lothian Elementary’s 3rd graders outperform state averages in math (48.7% vs. 42.6%), but proficiency plummets by 5th grade, pointing to a need for stronger upper-elementary math instruction.
Thank you for your feedback!