Summary:
Zip code 20755 (Fort Meade, MD) is served by two public middle schools, MacArthur Middle and Meade Middle, both part of the Anne Arundel County Public Schools district, and together they enroll 1,689 students in grades 6-8.
These two schools present a clear contrast in performance and resources. MacArthur Middle is the higher-performing school, ranking 189th in the state (44th percentile) and showing an upward trend over the last three years. Its standout feature is exceptional Algebra I proficiency, with 41.9% of students scoring proficient—nearly double the district average of 26.3%. In contrast, Meade Middle ranks lower at 258th (24th percentile) and has seen a recent decline. Despite spending $20,275 per student (over $2,000 more than MacArthur) and having a lower student-teacher ratio of 11.0, Meade’s academic outcomes are significantly lower, with math proficiency at just 5.9% compared to MacArthur’s 14.7%. This spending gap likely reflects the higher level of economic disadvantage at Meade, where 74.46% of students receive free/reduced lunch versus 54.23% at MacArthur.
Both schools trail district and state averages in core subjects like math, ELA, and science, indicating systemic challenges in the area. An interesting finding is that MacArthur Middle has a higher chronic absenteeism rate (25.7%) than Meade Middle (21.4%), despite its stronger academic performance, suggesting that engaged students at MacArthur are driving results while a portion of the student body is disengaged. Overall, the gap between these two schools appears to be widening, with MacArthur improving and Meade facing persistent challenges that additional funding has not yet overcome.
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