Best Public Schools in Zip Code 21213

The 10 schools in Baltimore zip code 21213, all part of the Baltimore City Public Schools district, serve primarily elementary and middle grades with no high schools, and face significant challenges with an average free/reduced lunch rate of 80.6% and a chronic absenteeism crisis of 48.1%.

The standout performer is The Green School of Baltimore, which ranks in the 72nd percentile statewide with 4 stars, achieving 47.5% math proficiency and 60% ELA proficiency—far exceeding state averages—while maintaining an exceptionally low 8% chronic absenteeism rate and the lowest poverty rate in the area at 32.7%. In stark contrast, Dr. Bernard Harris Senior Elementary ranks 863rd out of 864 schools statewide, with 0% math proficiency and a 73.5% chronic absenteeism rate. The only dedicated middle school, Lillie May Carroll Jackson School, stands out with the second-lowest absenteeism rate (20.5%) despite high poverty, though its math proficiency is just 3.3%. Two "ghost schools"—Sharp-Leadenhall Elementary/Middle (23 students, $125k per student) and Lakewood Elementary (94 students, serving only PK-K)—have no recent test scores and represent a spending paradox where the highest-funded schools show the lowest academic returns.

The data reveals that chronic absenteeism is the defining crisis, directly correlating with academic outcomes: schools with the highest absenteeism, like Lakewood (86.7%) and Dr. Harris (73.5%), have the lowest or no test scores, while The Green School's low absenteeism drives its success. The spending paradox is extreme, with Sharp-Leadenhall spending $125,197 per student and Lakewood spending $54,615 per student yet producing no measurable academic results, while The Green School spends just $22,523 per student. This suggests that additional funding alone cannot solve the deep-rooted challenges of poverty and attendance, and that the Green School's success is likely tied to factors like community engagement and student selection rather than being a replicable model for the area's higher-poverty schools.