Best Public Schools in Zip Code 21668

The two public schools in zip code 21668, serving the Sudlersville, Maryland area, are Sudlersville Middle School and Sudlersville Elementary School, both part of the highly-rated Queen Anne's County Public Schools district. These schools present a stark contrast in performance, creating a complex picture for families. Sudlersville Middle School stands out as the stronger performer, earning a consistent 3-star rating and achieving exceptional results in Algebra I, where 48.5% of students were proficient—more than double the district and state averages. It also excels in 8th-grade Social Studies. In contrast, Sudlersville Elementary School has experienced a significant decline, dropping from a 2-star to a 1-star rating over three years, with a critical weakness in English Language Arts where only 29.5% of students are proficient, a gap of nearly 30 percentage points below the district average.

Key metrics highlight the challenges and resources in this area. Both schools serve a high-poverty population, with 69.52% of elementary students and 59.73% of middle school students receiving free or reduced lunch. Spending per student is notably high, with Sudlersville Elementary spending $21,794 and Sudlersville Middle spending $19,143 per student. Despite this high spending, academic outcomes are mixed, particularly at the elementary level. Chronic absenteeism is a concern at the middle school (22.8%), while the elementary school has a lower rate (16.8%). The student-teacher ratio is more favorable at the elementary school (11.6:1) compared to the middle school (14.4:1).

The most interesting finding is the "Algebra I anomaly" at Sudlersville Middle School, where advanced math proficiency far exceeds general math performance, suggesting strong acceleration for select students. However, this success may be undermined by the elementary school's ELA crisis, as students entering middle school with low reading proficiency will struggle in advanced subjects. This creates a potential "feeder problem" where the middle school's achievements may be limited to a small group of students who were already strong readers. The high spending at both schools, especially at the elementary level, raises questions about resource effectiveness, as it has not translated into strong academic results in reading and math.