Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 21701

Zip code 21701 in Frederick, Maryland, is home to two middle schools—West Frederick Middle and Gov. Thomas Johnson Middle—serving grades 6-8 within the Frederick County Public Schools district, which ranks in the top 20% of Maryland districts.

Gov. Thomas Johnson Middle is the standout school in this area, ranking 76th out of 339 Maryland middle schools (78th percentile) for the 2025-2026 school year—a significant jump from its 125th-place ranking two years prior. It outperforms West Frederick Middle in nearly every academic metric, including math proficiency (32.6% vs. 22.0%) and English Language Arts proficiency (61.5% vs. 48.4%). Both schools excel in Algebra I, with Gov. Thomas Johnson Middle at 62.2% proficiency and West Frederick Middle at 56.9%, far exceeding the district average of 33.5% and the state average of 21.3%. Notably, Gov. Thomas Johnson Middle shows strong growth in 8th-grade math, bucking the typical decline seen at West Frederick Middle.

Despite its higher performance, Gov. Thomas Johnson Middle spends $22,644 per student—$4,470 more than West Frederick Middle—though this spending gap does not directly mirror the performance gap. Both schools face challenges with chronic absenteeism, with rates of 22.3% and 19.6%, respectively, both above the district average of 16.7%. Socioeconomic differences are notable, as West Frederick Middle has a higher percentage of students receiving free/reduced lunch (64.51%) compared to Gov. Thomas Johnson Middle (45.2%), which likely contributes to the performance gap. Overall, families in this zip code have access to two solid middle schools, with Gov. Thomas Johnson Middle offering stronger academics and a clear upward trajectory.