Summary:
Zip code 21817 is home to one high school, Crisfield Academy and High School, which serves grades 8 through 12 in the rural community of Crisfield, Maryland, as part of the Somerset County Public Schools district.
Crisfield Academy and High School has shown remarkable improvement in recent years, jumping from the 16th percentile in state rankings for 2023-2024 to the 54th percentile for 2025-2026—a 38-point gain that earned it a 3-star rating. The school excels in English Language Arts (ELA), with 42.6% of all students proficient, and 10th graders achieving a 62% proficiency rate that actually exceeds the state average of 59.7%. However, mathematics remains a significant challenge, with only 6.4% of students proficient compared to 27.1% statewide. The school serves a high-need population, with 67.76% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and spends a substantial $27,816 per student, which supports a favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.8:1.
Despite its math struggles, Crisfield Academy and High School outperforms its district in nearly every key metric. Its graduation rate of 88.8% exceeds the district's 83.4%, and its dropout rate of 6.3% is less than half the district's 13.2%. Chronic absenteeism affects 31.4% of students—slightly better than the district average of 33.7% but still a major hurdle. The school's rapid academic improvement, strong ELA performance, and ability to achieve better outcomes than the struggling district suggest effective leadership and targeted interventions are making a difference, even as math instruction and attendance remain critical areas for continued focus.
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