Summary:
The three public schools serving zip code 21090 in Linthicum, Maryland—Lindale Middle, Linthicum Elementary, and Overlook Elementary—are all part of the Anne Arundel County Public Schools district and serve students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, with high school students attending schools outside the immediate area.
The most compelling story in this zip code is the dramatic turnaround at Overlook Elementary, which has become the top-performing elementary school despite serving a student population with the highest poverty rate. Overlook jumped from the 32nd to the 49th percentile in state rankings in one year, achieving the highest math proficiency (31.1%) and ELA proficiency (46.2%) in the zip code. Its success appears linked to targeted investments, including the highest per-student spending ($20,872) and the lowest student-to-teacher ratio (10.4). In contrast, Linthicum Elementary has seen a steady decline in its state ranking over three years, dropping from the 62nd to the 47th percentile, despite having a lower poverty rate. At the middle school level, Lindale Middle presents a paradox: while overall math proficiency is low (17.6%), its Algebra I proficiency is exceptionally high at 50.8%, nearly double the district average, indicating strong acceleration for top math students.
A critical concern across all three schools is chronic absenteeism, which hovers at or above the district average of 19.9%, with Linthicum Elementary (22.2%) and Lindale Middle (21.7%) most affected. This likely contributes to the schools' overall mid-to-low state rankings. For parents, the key takeaway is that Overlook Elementary is a standout for academic growth and early literacy, while Lindale Middle offers strong advanced math opportunities but struggles with grade-level math proficiency for the majority of its students.
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