Summary:
In zip code 21613, there is one middle school, Mace's Lane Middle School, serving grades 6 through 8 in Cambridge, Maryland, a community facing significant economic challenges.
Mace's Lane Middle School is part of the Dorchester County Public Schools district and consistently ranks in the bottom 10% of all Maryland middle schools. The school spends a notably high $24,534 per student, yet academic outcomes are critically low. For the 2025-2026 school year, only 3.1% of students were proficient in mathematics, compared to 27.1% statewide, and just 19.9% were proficient in English Language Arts, versus 51.7% statewide. The chronic absenteeism rate is alarmingly high at 50.8%, meaning more than half of the students are regularly missing school, which directly impacts learning. Additionally, 87.76% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating a highly economically disadvantaged population.
Despite these challenges, there is one notable bright spot: the school's Algebra I proficiency rate of 20% actually exceeds the district average of 15.5% and nearly matches the state average of 21.3%. This suggests that the small group of students taking advanced math may be receiving effective support. However, the overall picture shows a school where high spending is not translating into academic success, largely due to the severe impact of poverty and absenteeism. For parents, this data highlights a school in urgent need of comprehensive support to address the root causes of its struggles, particularly the absenteeism crisis, rather than simply additional funding.
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