Summary:
Zip code 21903, serving the Perryville area of Maryland, is home to a single high school, Perryville High, which serves grades 9 through 12 as part of the Cecil County Public Schools district.
Perryville High presents a striking paradox for parents to consider. On one hand, the school is a standout performer in English Language Arts (ELA), with 68.4% of students proficient in the 2025-2026 school year—far exceeding both the district (46.9%) and state (51.7%) averages. On the other hand, mathematics proficiency is critically low at just 1.6%, a sharp decline from 3.8% the previous year and dramatically below the state average of 27.1%. This extreme disparity suggests a highly effective English department but a systemic challenge in math instruction or support. The school's overall state ranking has also slipped from the 84th percentile (4 stars) in 2021-2022 to the 69th percentile (3 stars) in 2025-2026, likely dragged down by the math crisis.
Despite these academic struggles, Perryville High maintains a graduation rate of 89.3%, above the district average of 87.7%, and a dropout rate of 7.5%, below the district's 8.6%. However, chronic absenteeism is a concern at 24.9%, higher than the district rate of 21.9%, which may be a root cause of the math difficulties. With 858 students and a student-teacher ratio of 16.4:1, the school spends $16,753 per student. Parents should note that while the school excels in reading and writing, the math program requires urgent attention, and the high absenteeism rate is a factor to monitor closely.
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