Summary:
The six schools in zip code 21012 (Arnold, MD) are part of the Anne Arundel County Public Schools district and include three elementary schools, two middle schools, and one alternative virtual academy, creating a diverse educational landscape within a highly supportive community.
This area is a clear pocket of academic excellence, with all five traditional brick-and-mortar schools consistently outperforming district and state averages. Arnold Elementary stands out as the top elementary school, earning a 5-star rating for three consecutive years and leading in math proficiency (63.5%) while having the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (7.3%). Among middle schools, Magothy River Middle is the highest-ranked school in the zip code, currently sitting at 15th out of 339 Maryland middle schools (96th percentile), while Severn River Middle shows remarkable strength in advanced math with an 85.7% Algebra I proficiency rate—over three times the state average. Broadneck Elementary and Belvedere Elementary also perform well, though they saw slight ranking dips recently. In contrast, the AACPS Virtual Academy is a distinct outlier, serving a different student population with the highest per-student spending ($20,253) and lowest student-to-teacher ratio (8.8:1), yet its academic proficiency rates are dramatically lower, highlighting the unique challenges of its alternative mission.
A key takeaway is the strong link between attendance and achievement across the traditional schools, with Arnold Elementary (7.3% chronic absenteeism) and Severn River Middle (15.0%) showing the clearest correlation. The middle schools' exceptional Algebra I results indicate a robust accelerated math program, while the virtual academy's paradox of high resources and low test scores underscores its role as a necessary alternative pathway. Overall, families in this zip code have access to some of the strongest elementary and middle schools in Maryland, with no traditional high schools present.
Thank you for your feedback!