Summary:
The five public schools in zip code 21613, serving Cambridge, Maryland, are part of the Dorchester County Public Schools district, which ranks in the bottom 20% of Maryland districts. These schools include one high school, one middle school, and three elementary schools, all facing significant challenges with academic performance and student engagement.
Maple Elementary School stands out as the highest-performing school in the area, earning a 2-star rating and achieving the best math (19.8%) and English (37.7%) proficiency rates. It also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 24.5%. In stark contrast, Choptank Elementary School is the most challenged, with a 0-star rating, critically low math proficiency of 3.8%, and nearly 95% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. The middle school, Mace's Lane Middle School, shows a dramatic drop in performance compared to the elementary schools, with only 3.1% math proficiency and a 50.8% chronic absenteeism rate. Cambridge-South Dorchester High School faces a crisis, with a 57.5% chronic absenteeism rate, a 20.6% dropout rate, and just 2.8% math proficiency. Sandy Hill Elementary performs in the middle range, with 12.5% math and 30.4% English proficiency.
Across all schools, average math proficiency is just 8.6% compared to the state average of 27.1%, and average English proficiency is 26.8% versus 51.7% statewide. Chronic absenteeism averages 43.7%, far above the district average of 37.1%. Spending per student averages $23,854, but higher spending does not correlate with better results, as Choptank spends more than Maple yet performs far worse. The data reveals a systemic district problem where poverty, high absenteeism, and low academic achievement are deeply interconnected, with only Maple Elementary showing signs of breaking this pattern.
Thank you for your feedback!