Summary:
Zip code 21678, serving the rural Worton, Maryland area, contains a single high school, Kent County High, which serves grades 9 through 12 with 511 students as part of the Kent County Public Schools district.
Kent County High presents a stark academic paradox. The school significantly outperforms the state average in English Language Arts (ELA), with 59.9% proficiency compared to the state's 51.7% in 2025-2026. However, mathematics proficiency is critically low at just 4.7%, far below the state average of 27.1%. This extreme disparity is highlighted by Algebra I proficiency at a mere 1.0%. Despite spending a high $24,959 per student, the math results suggest a systemic issue in math instruction or curriculum that does not affect literacy. The school maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.7:1 and a 93% graduation rate, yet 63.01% of students are economically disadvantaged.
A major concern is the chronic absenteeism rate of 54.2%, meaning over half the student body misses significant school time—far exceeding the district average of 33.1%. This likely contributes to the poor math performance and volatile state rankings, which dropped to a 1-star rating in 2023-2024 before recovering to a 2-star rating in 2025-2026. The high graduation rate (93%) despite low math proficiency suggests students may be advancing without mastering core math skills. For parents, this school offers strong ELA instruction but requires urgent attention to math achievement and attendance issues.
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