Best Public Schools in Zip Code 21009

The 21009 zip code area in Maryland is home to two elementary schools - Abingdon Elementary and William S. James Elementary, both part of the Harford County Public Schools district. While both schools serve students in grades K-5, the data analysis reveals significant performance differences between the two.

William S. James Elementary stands out as the higher-performing school, with a statewide ranking of 258th out of 865 Maryland elementary schools, compared to Abingdon Elementary's 323rd ranking. William S. James also holds a higher overall rating of 4 out of 5 SchoolDigger stars, while Abingdon Elementary is rated 3 out of 5 stars. In most academic subject areas and grade levels, William S. James Elementary outperforms Abingdon Elementary and the county/state averages in terms of proficiency rates.

However, both schools face the challenge of high chronic absenteeism rates, significantly above the state average. Additionally, Abingdon Elementary has a much higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating potential differences in the socioeconomic backgrounds of the student populations. While Abingdon Elementary spends more per student, it does not translate into better academic outcomes compared to William S. James Elementary, raising questions about the efficient allocation of resources and the need to examine how funding is being utilized to support student learning.