Summary:
Zip code 21664 in Secretary, MD, is home to a single elementary school, Warwick Elementary School, which serves grades PK through 5 with 346 students as part of the Dorchester County Public Schools district.
Warwick Elementary stands out as a clear academic leader within its district, consistently outperforming the Dorchester County average in every tested subject and grade level during the 2025-2026 school year. For example, all-grades math proficiency reached 32.1% compared to the district's 16.3%, and all-grades ELA hit 47.6% versus the district's 37.5%. However, the school's state ranking has declined from the 75th percentile (4 stars) in 2023-2024 to the 51st percentile (3 stars) in 2025-2026, indicating that while Warwick is performing well locally, other Maryland schools are improving at a faster pace. The school also benefits from a relatively low chronic absenteeism rate of 17.3% (compared to the district's 37.1%) and spends a substantial $19,026 per student, yet overall proficiency rates in math and science remain below state averages.
Several notable trends emerge from the data. A standout anomaly is the 4th grade ELA proficiency of 65.2% in 2025-2026, far exceeding both district and state averages, suggesting an exceptional teacher or targeted program. Conversely, 5th grade math proficiency dropped sharply to 15.8%, well below the state average of 30.2%, signaling a potential curriculum gap or need for additional support. Most concerning is the year-over-year decline in core subjects: all-grades math fell from 47.4% to 32.1%, and all-grades ELA dropped from 59.1% to 47.6% between the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years. This sharp decline is likely the primary driver of the school's falling state rank and warrants immediate attention from school and district leadership.
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