Best High Schools in Zip Code 21223

This analysis examines three high schools in Baltimore, MD, zip code 21223: The Seed School of Maryland, Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy, and Excel Academy at Francis M. Wood High, all serving grades 9-12 in an area where students face significant socioeconomic challenges, as reflected by very high free/reduced lunch rates.

Among these schools, The Seed School of Maryland stands out for its positive trajectory, being the only school in the zip code to improve its state ranking percentile over three years, moving from the 1st to the 26th percentile. It also has the highest graduation rate (77.2%), the lowest dropout rate (18.1%), and dramatically lower chronic absenteeism (28.7%) compared to its peers. In contrast, Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy excels in English Language Arts, with 41.2% of students proficient, more than double the rate at Excel Academy at Francis M. Wood High, though it struggles with an 84.8% chronic absenteeism rate. Excel Academy at Francis M. Wood High faces the most severe challenges, with the lowest graduation rate (11.0%), highest dropout rate (67.4%), and a 6th percentile state ranking.

Key metrics reveal a district-wide crisis: the average graduation rate across these schools is just 53.5%, and chronic absenteeism averages 56.8%. Test proficiency is critically low, with math proficiency at 7.7% and ELA at 30.9%, both far below state averages. Notably, The Seed School of Maryland spends over $40,000 per student—70% more than the other two schools—yet still achieves low academic proficiency, suggesting high spending is not a cure-all. The data also shows a stark contrast between Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy and Excel Academy at Francis M. Wood High, both in the Baltimore City Public Schools district, highlighting how school-level leadership and programs can dramatically impact outcomes even in similar circumstances.