Best Public Schools in Zip Code 20784

The eight public schools in zip code 20784, serving parts of Hyattsville, New Carrollton, Landover Hills, and Landover, are all part of the Prince George's County Public Schools district and consist entirely of elementary and middle schools (PK-8), with no high schools present.

While the area faces significant challenges, with an average math proficiency of just 13.4% and an extremely high rate of economic need (94% of students eligible for free/reduced lunch), there are clear standout schools. Robert Frost Elementary is the top-performing elementary school, achieving the highest math scores (25.9%) and benefiting from the highest per-student spending ($24,939) and the smallest class sizes in the zip code. A fascinating anomaly is Charles Carroll Middle, where an extraordinary 81.8% of students taking Algebra I were proficient—far exceeding the state average—even though its overall math proficiency is low. In contrast, Ellen Ochoa Middle has a much larger student body and a higher student-teacher ratio (20.1:1) but boasts the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (12.8%) in the area, proving high attendance is achievable even in high-needs communities.

Chronic absenteeism is a major issue, averaging 26.5% across the zip code, with Glenridge Elementary (37.2%) and Cooper Lane Elementary (33.4%) struggling the most. However, Glenridge Elementary shows a promising upward trend in its state ranking over three consecutive years. A critical pattern across elementary schools is a sharp "4th grade slump," where proficiency rates drop dramatically after 3rd grade—for example, at Carrollton Elementary, 3rd-grade math proficiency is 27.1% but plummets to just 3.9% in 4th grade. This suggests a pivotal transition point where students need additional support to master more complex material.