Summary:
This analysis examines four elementary schools in the 21550 zip code of Oakland, Maryland, serving grades from Pre-Kindergarten through 6th or 8th grade within the Garrett County Public Schools district, an area characterized by high economic disadvantage with all schools reporting Free/Reduced Lunch rates above 59%.
Crellin Elementary is the standout performer, earning a 4-star rating and ranking 241st out of 864 schools in Maryland (72nd percentile) for the 2025-2026 school year. It significantly outperforms its peers with overall math proficiency of 54.9%—nearly double the state average—and a remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate of just 6.5%, compared to rates above 20% at Broad Ford Elementary, Yough Glades Elementary, and Swan Meadow School. This success is particularly notable given Crellin’s high poverty rate (65.79%), suggesting that school culture and low absenteeism are more impactful than socioeconomic factors alone.
In contrast, Swan Meadow School, the smallest school with 54 students, spends the most per student ($23,078) but has the lowest recent academic scores, highlighting that spending does not guarantee performance. Across all schools, math proficiency declines sharply as students advance in grade level—for example, at Broad Ford, 3rd-grade math proficiency is 43.6% but drops to 15.1% by 6th grade—indicating a systemic challenge in sustaining math skills. Chronic absenteeism emerges as the strongest predictor of success, with Crellin’s low rate correlating directly with its high test scores and state rank, while the other three schools struggle with rates near or above the district average of 22.9%.
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