Summary:
In zip code 21750, there is one elementary school, Hancock Elementary, serving grades PK through 5 in Hancock, MD, a small community within the Washington County Public Schools district.
Hancock Elementary is a small school with 193 students and a favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.9:1, allowing for more individualized attention. The school spends a substantial $19,762 per student, well above national averages. A standout strength is 3rd-grade mathematics, where 53.8% of students are proficient, significantly outperforming both the district (41.6%) and state (42.6%). However, math proficiency drops sharply in 4th grade (17.2%) and 5th grade (20%), indicating a challenge with upper-grade math concepts. Overall, the school's all-grades math proficiency (28.9%) is slightly above the state average (27.1%), while English Language Arts proficiency (47.8%) falls below both the district (55%) and state (51.7%). The school has a high rate of economic disadvantage, with 65.28% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, yet chronic absenteeism (24.4%) is lower than the district average (29.0%), suggesting effective attendance initiatives.
Despite mixed academic results, Hancock Elementary has improved its state rank from the 45th percentile in 2024-2025 to the 50th percentile in 2025-2026, earning a 3-star rating. The school's high per-student spending raises questions about resource allocation, particularly in addressing the decline in upper-grade math and below-average ELA scores. The strong 3rd-grade math performance and lower chronic absenteeism are positive foundations, but the school needs to focus on improving 4th and 5th-grade math and overall ELA to better serve its students.
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