Summary:
The 21532 zip code, encompassing the Frostburg, Maryland area, is served by four schools—one high school and three elementary schools—with a total enrollment of 1,524 students split between Allegany County Public Schools and Garrett County Public Schools.
Frost Elementary is the standout school in the area, earning a 5-star rating and ranking in the 93rd percentile statewide. It achieves exceptional academic results with 68% proficiency in math and 78% in English Language Arts—more than double the district and state averages—despite having a higher student-to-teacher ratio (16.2) and lower per-student spending ($17,606) than Beall Elementary. In contrast, Mountain Ridge High School faces significant challenges, ranking in the 34th percentile with a critical math proficiency rate of just 6.1% and a chronic absenteeism rate of 40.4%. Route 40 Elementary, the only school in the Garrett County district, performs moderately at the 43rd percentile, while Beall Elementary sits at the 67th percentile with 44.3% math proficiency and 53.9% ELA proficiency.
Key takeaways include the clear link between attendance and achievement: Frost Elementary has the lowest chronic absenteeism (21.0%) among the Allegany County elementary schools and the highest test scores, while Beall Elementary has the highest absenteeism (30.5%) and the lowest math scores. Mountain Ridge High School shows a stark contrast between its critically low math performance (6.1%) and its near-state-average ELA proficiency (51.5%), suggesting a systemic issue with math instruction. Notably, Route 40 Elementary, despite being in a higher-ranked district, lags behind Frost Elementary, demonstrating that individual school performance can diverge significantly from district rankings.
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