Summary:
Zip code 20860, covering Sandy Spring, MD, is home to a single high school, Sherwood High, which serves grades 9-12 as part of the Montgomery County Public Schools district.
Sherwood High is a top-tier school with a strong overall reputation, ranking 26th out of 227 high schools in Maryland for the 2025-2026 school year. It boasts an impressive 93.7% graduation rate and a very low 4.0% dropout rate, both significantly better than the district averages. The school's standout strength is English Language Arts, where 79.3% of students are proficient—far exceeding the district (58.5%) and state (51.7%) averages. However, this academic excellence is sharply contrasted by a critical weakness in mathematics, with only 10.3% of students proficient, well below the district (36.9%) and state (27.1%) averages. This extreme disparity between ELA and math performance is the school's most defining characteristic.
Despite high per-student spending of $20,093, math outcomes remain a significant challenge, suggesting a need for targeted instructional improvements in STEM. The school has also seen a slight decline in its state ranking, dropping from 14th place (5 stars) in 2023-2024 to 26th place (4 stars) in 2025-2026, likely driven by the low math scores. Chronic absenteeism sits at 24.1%, slightly above the district average, yet the school still maintains a very high graduation rate, indicating strong support systems for students. For parents, Sherwood High offers an exceptional environment for students strong in language arts, but families should be aware that math achievement is a major area needing attention and improvement.
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