Summary:
Zip code 21225 in Baltimore, MD, is home to a single high school, Benjamin Franklin High School at Masonville Cove, which serves grades 9 through 12 as part of the Baltimore City Public Schools district.
This school faces severe challenges that are critical for parents to understand. Academic proficiency is alarmingly low, with only 1.5% of students proficient in math and 12.6% in English Language Arts for the 2025-2026 school year—far below district and state averages. The graduation rate stands at just 52%, while the dropout rate is a staggering 39.7%. A major contributing factor is a chronic absenteeism rate of 80.7%, meaning four out of five students miss significant amounts of school. Despite high per-pupil spending of $22,590, these outcomes indicate deep-rooted issues with student engagement and instructional effectiveness. The school's state ranking has also declined sharply, now placing it in the bottom 3% of all Maryland high schools.
For parents, the data paints a picture of a school in crisis. The combination of extremely low academic proficiency, a very high dropout rate, and pervasive chronic absenteeism suggests that the school environment is not currently supporting student success. While the school is the only option within the zip code, these metrics highlight significant risks for any student enrolled. The stark contrast with state averages—where math proficiency is 18 times higher—underscores the systemic challenges facing this school and the urgent need for comprehensive intervention to improve outcomes for its students.
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