Summary:
Zip code 20842, covering the rural community of Dickerson, Maryland, is home to a single school, Monocacy Elementary, a small K-5 school with 164 students that serves as a standout example of academic excellence within the highly-regarded Montgomery County Public Schools district.
Monocacy Elementary consistently outperforms both its district and the state of Maryland across nearly every academic metric. In the 2025-2026 school year, the school ranked in the 81st percentile statewide, with 53.2% of students proficient in mathematics (compared to 36.9% for the district and 27.1% for the state) and 66.0% proficient in English Language Arts (compared to 58.5% for the district and 51.7% for the state). This success is supported by a very low student-teacher ratio of 11:1 and a high per-student spending of $26,590, creating an environment for personalized instruction. The school also boasts a low chronic absenteeism rate of 11.0%, which is half the district average of 22.6% and a likely contributor to its strong performance.
While the school's overall data is impressive, one notable finding is a dip in 4th-grade mathematics proficiency, which dropped to 40%—below the district average of 45.1% for that grade. This is the only area where the school underperforms its district, suggesting a potential area for targeted review. Additionally, while math proficiency for all grades saw a slight decline from 57.5% to 53.2% year-over-year, English Language Arts remained stable. Overall, Monocacy Elementary provides an excellent education driven by small class sizes, high investment, and strong attendance, making it a top-tier choice for families in the area.
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