Summary:
In zip code 21632 (Federalsburg, Maryland), there is one high school, Colonel Richardson High School, which serves grades 9 through 12 and is part of the Caroline County Public Schools district.
Colonel Richardson High School presents a mixed picture of academic performance. The school excels in English Language Arts (ELA), with 67.9% of students proficient, significantly outperforming both the district (50.8%) and state (51.7%) averages. However, math proficiency is a critical challenge, with only 5.5% of students proficient, far below the district (23.7%) and state (27.1%) rates. This stark contrast suggests a systemic issue in math instruction that needs targeted intervention. The school serves a high-needs population, with 65.91% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch and a chronic absenteeism rate of 29.0%. Despite these challenges, the school achieves a strong graduation rate of 91.3%, well above the district average of 85.7%, and a low dropout rate of 4.6% compared to the district's 10.2%.
Spending per student is $20,348, a significant investment that has not yet translated into improved math outcomes. The school's state ranking has stabilized at the 55th percentile (3 stars) for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years, up from the 48th percentile (2 stars) in 2023-2024. An interesting anomaly is Geometry performance, which was a relative strength in 2024-2025 (33.3% proficient, above the state average) but dropped to 11.5% in 2025-2026, while Algebra I proficiency remains persistently low (2.8% and 3.9%). This inconsistency highlights the need for a focused review of math curriculum and resource allocation to match the success seen in ELA.
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