Summary:
There are three elementary schools in the 20770 zip code of Greenbelt, Maryland, serving grades K-5 (with one school extending to 8th grade), all part of the Prince George's County Public Schools district, which is ranked near the bottom of the state.
The standout school in this area is Dora Kennedy French Immersion, a high-performing K-8 school ranked in the 84th percentile statewide. It dramatically outperforms its neighbors, with 77.5% of students proficient in English Language Arts and 46.7% in math—rates that are four to five times higher than Springhill Lake Elementary, which ranks in the 5th percentile and has only 18.3% ELA and 9.5% math proficiency. Greenbelt Elementary sits in the middle, ranked in the 40th percentile with 44% ELA and 22.9% math proficiency. A key difference is chronic absenteeism: Springhill Lake has a staggering 42% rate, while Dora Kennedy's is just 6.6%, showing how attendance strongly correlates with success.
Interestingly, higher spending does not guarantee better results. Springhill Lake spends $23,432 per student—the most in the zip code—yet has the worst outcomes, likely because funds go toward addressing poverty-related challenges. Dora Kennedy achieves superior results with $3,699 less per student. Additionally, grade-level performance declines at Springhill Lake and Greenbelt Elementary, with math proficiency dropping sharply from 3rd to 5th grade, while Dora Kennedy's students actually improve over time. For families in this zip code, the choice of school is critical, as Dora Kennedy offers a dramatically different educational experience compared to its struggling neighbors.
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