Summary:
In zip code 21212, there is one middle school, Dumbarton Middle, serving grades 6 through 8 in Baltimore, Maryland, as part of the Baltimore County Public Schools district.
Dumbarton Middle is a standout school that significantly outperforms its district and state averages across nearly every academic metric. For the 2025-2026 school year, the school earned a 4-star rating and ranked 53rd out of all Maryland middle schools, a notable improvement from 77th place two years prior. English Language Arts proficiency is 73.1%, compared to the district's 46.1% and the state's 51.7%. Math proficiency is 37.1%, well above the district's 21.9% and state's 27.1%. The school also excels in advanced coursework, with Geometry proficiency at 64.5% (state: 44.5%) and 8th-grade Science proficiency at 55% (state: 30.9%). With 1,064 students and a student-teacher ratio of 16.3:1, the school has a relatively low free/reduced lunch rate of 29.32%, indicating a less economically disadvantaged population compared to many district schools.
A key finding is a sharp decline in math proficiency as students progress, dropping from 45.5% in 6th grade to just 14.9% in 7th grade and 9.3% in 8th grade, though high performance in Algebra I (42.3%) and Geometry (64.5%) suggests strong support for advanced students. Despite high test scores, chronic absenteeism is 25.2%, nearly identical to the district average of 25.6%, indicating a hidden challenge. Overall, Dumbarton Middle is a high-performing school on an upward trajectory, with consistent year-over-year improvements in both math and ELA proficiency, making it a strong choice for families in the area.
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