Best Public Schools in Zip Code 21853

The three public schools in zip code 21853 (Princess Anne, MD) serve approximately 1,517 students across elementary and high school grades, all part of the Somerset County Public Schools district, which ranks in the bottom 8th percentile of Maryland districts.

Greenwood Elementary School (grades 2-5) stands out as the academic leader in the area, achieving a 15.6% math proficiency rate—more than double the 6.4% rate at Washington Academy and High School (grades 8-12). However, a critical drop occurs at Greenwood: 3rd graders show 26.8% math proficiency, but by 5th grade, that falls to just 5.8%. Princess Anne Elementary School (PK-1) serves the youngest learners. Washington Academy faces severe challenges with a 6.4% math proficiency rate, a 16.9% dropout rate, and a graduation rate of 80.5%—all below district averages. The area lacks a dedicated middle school for grades 6-7, creating an abrupt transition from elementary to high school.

All three schools face extreme socioeconomic hardship, with free and reduced lunch rates ranging from 76.9% to 82.45%. Despite high per-student spending ($21,434 to $23,352) and favorable student-teacher ratios (13.4:1 to 15.1:1), academic proficiency remains critically low: the area averages just 9.2% in math and 29.1% in English Language Arts, compared to state averages of 27.1% and 51.7%, respectively. Chronic absenteeism affects 30.5% to 33.9% of students across all schools, contributing to a cycle of disengagement and underperformance that persists despite significant financial investment.