Summary:
There are two middle schools serving grades 6-8 in the 21703 zip code of Frederick, MD: Ballenger Creek Middle and Crestwood Middle, both part of the Frederick County Public Schools district.
Ballenger Creek Middle is the standout school in this area, consistently outperforming Crestwood Middle in nearly every academic metric. For the 2025-2026 school year, Ballenger Creek ranks 116th out of 339 Maryland middle schools (66th percentile, 3 stars), while Crestwood ranks 182nd (46th percentile, 2 stars). Ballenger Creek’s students achieved a 24.1% proficiency rate in Mathematics and a 54.3% proficiency rate in English Language Arts, compared to Crestwood’s 12.5% and 48%, respectively. Ballenger Creek also excels in advanced coursework, offering Geometry with a 75% proficiency rate and achieving a 58.3% proficiency rate in Algebra I, far exceeding Crestwood’s 49.2%. However, both schools have chronic absenteeism rates above the district average of 16.7%, with Ballenger Creek at 21.4% and Crestwood at 18.6%.
Key differences emerge when examining resources and demographics. Crestwood Middle has a higher percentage of students receiving free/reduced lunch (67.67%) compared to Ballenger Creek Middle (42.34%), and despite having higher per-student spending ($17,429 vs. $16,705) and a lower student-teacher ratio (15:1 vs. 16.3:1), Crestwood achieves significantly lower academic results. This suggests that the additional resources at Crestwood are not translating into proportional academic gains. Notably, Crestwood’s English Language Arts proficiency (48%) is much closer to the state average (51.7%) than its math scores, indicating a relative strength in literacy instruction. For parents, Ballenger Creek offers stronger overall academics and advanced math programs, while Crestwood may require more support for students, particularly in mathematics.
Thank you for your feedback!