Schools in Zip Code 21230

The nine schools in Baltimore's 21230 zip code, all part of the Baltimore City Public Schools district, serve a diverse range of students from elementary through high school, with a heavy concentration of elementary and middle schools and a single high school. The area presents a stark educational divide, where a few schools perform well above district averages while others face severe challenges, all within a district ranked in the bottom 4th percentile statewide.

The clear standouts are Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle and Thomas Johnson Elementary/Middle, which consistently earn 4-star ratings and significantly outperform both district and state averages in Math and English Language Arts. These schools also have the lowest chronic absenteeism rates (around 20%) and the lowest percentages of students receiving free/reduced lunch (around 40%). In contrast, Westport Academy and Digital Harbor High School are the most challenged, with Westport Academy ranking in the bottom 3% of Maryland elementary schools and Digital Harbor showing a 28% dropout rate and 77% chronic absenteeism. Notably, Charles Carroll Barrister Elementary showed remarkable improvement, jumping from the 6th to the 32nd percentile in one year.

Key metrics reveal a strong link between poverty and performance, as the top-performing schools have the lowest poverty rates while the lowest-performing have the highest. The zip code's average Math proficiency (25.5%) is nearly double the district average, but this is skewed by the top performers, while its ELA proficiency (37.1%) lags behind the state. A troubling pattern emerges in middle school grades, where Math proficiency drops sharply—for example, at Francis Scott Key, 3rd-grade Math proficiency is 60.4% but falls to 1.7% by 8th grade. Additionally, higher per-pupil spending at struggling schools like Westport Academy ($31,667) does not guarantee better outcomes, suggesting funds are used for non-academic support rather than directly boosting test scores.