Best Public Elementary Schools in Maryland 2024
The decision between picking a public or private school can be a tough one to make for some parents. Many believe that private schools are far superior to public institutions, but these schools prove those people wrong. The best public schools in the state are comparable if not better to some of the best private schools in offering early childhood education. Before deciding to pay for a private school’s tuition, maybe consider some of these options in your county!
First, let’s define some terms,
A Charter school is a school that creates its own curriculum and its own classroom experience outside of the traditional curriculum other public schools follow.
K-12 schools are exactly what they sound like, they offer classes for students grades k-12. This means that the whole before-college experience is happening in one school and with the same cohort of kids. This can be great for some students as the process of meeting new people and switching schools is basically eliminated.
Magnet schools are schools that children can apply to, no matter where they live, while still being free. They are similar to charter schools in that they offer a specialized curriculum and often focus on a specialty like STEM or the arts. They are called magnet schools because they attract students from other districts.
TAG, which stands for talented and gifted. This is a fancy way of saying the school has a gifted program, which most schools on this list have a gifted program of some sort.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Montgomery County has some of the best schools in the state, ranking 2nd overall for the best school districts in the state, while also boasting the top elementary school overall in the state. The county also offers AP, IB, and gifted programs so starting your children off in a Montgomery County public school could set them up for success in their middle and high school careers if they wanted to pursue an AP or IB program. They are also ranked 1st in athletics while also being the most diverse in the State. Another great thing about the county is that its teachers are rated 2nd in the state.
1. STONE MILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Stone Mill Elementary School is located in North Potomac, Maryland. This is rated the top elementary school in the state, offering a gifted program as well as having some of the best public elementary school teachers in the state, ranking 7th overall. Students at this school have an 83% efficiency in reading and a 78% in math.
2. COLD SPRING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Cold Spring Elementary School is located in Potomac, Maryland. This is the second-best elementary school in the state. They offer a gifted program as well as great teachers, being ranked 11th in the state. Cold Spring also has near-perfect academics, with an 87% proficiency rating in reading and a 90% in math proficiency.
3. WAYSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Wayside Elementary school is located in Potomac, Maryland and is the 3rd highest elementary school in the state. They offer a gifted program and their teachers rank within the top 3% of the state. Their proficiency rating is also exceptional, with 84% proficiency in reading and 86% in math.
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY
Prince George’s County is the third-best school for athletes in the state. They are ranked the 6th most diverse. They offer an AP and IB program for when students reach the middle and high school levels.
1. GLENARDEN WOODS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Glenarden Woods Elementary School is a magnet school located in Lanham, Maryland. They offer a TAG program. Their proficiency ratings are excellent as well, having a 90% reading rating and an 84% in math.
2. HEATHER HILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Heather Hills elementary school is a magnet school in Bowie, Maryland. They are the third-best elementary school in PG county and also offer the TAG program. Their proficiency rating is 73% for reading and 77% for math.
3. MATH & IT ACADEMY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL
Math & IT Academy Public Charter School is a K-12 school in Laurel, Maryland. This is different from the other schools listed so far in that it is a K-12 school and a Charter school. The Math & IT academy is the third best school in PG county, the 5th best Charter School in the state, and the 4th best in the DC area.
BALTIMORE COUNTY
Baltimore County is the 3rd most diverse county in the state and the most diverse in the Baltimore area.
1. LUTHERVILLE LABORATORY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Math & IT Academy Public Charter School is a K-12 school in Laurel, Maryland. This is different from the other schools listed so far in that it is a K-12 school and a Charter school. The Math & IT academy is the third best school in PG county, the 5th best Charter School in the state, and the 4th best in the DC area.
2. CHAPEL HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Chapel Hill Elementary School is located in Perry Hall, Maryland and they are the second-highest-rated elementary school in Baltimore County, as well as offering a gifted program. They have the 7th best teachers in Baltimore county and an above-average proficiency rating in reading, which is 74%, and in math, which is 69%.
3. FORT GARRISON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Fort Garrison Elementary School is located in Baltimore, Maryland and they are the third highest school in Baltimore County. They have the 6th best teachers in the county and a proficiency rate in reading and math of 77%, while also offering a gifted program.
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY
Anne Arundel is the 3rd highest-rated district in the Baltimore area. It is the 11th most diverse in the state and 7th best for athletes. It also ranks 13th overall in the state.
1. WEST ANNAPOLIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
West Annapolis Elementary School, located in Annapolis, Maryland is ranked 1st overall in Anne Arundel County and has the second-highest-rated teachers in the county. They also offer a gifted program explaining their proficiency rating for both reading and math of 77%.
2. SHIPLEY'S CHOICE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Shipley’s Choice Elementary School is located in Millersville, Maryland. They offer the best teachers and a gifted program in the county and that reflects their near-perfect proficiency rating in reading and math of 92%.
3. FOUR SEASONS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Four Seasons Elementary School is located in Gambrills, Maryland and it is the third-best school in Anne Arundel County. They have the 9th best teachers in the county as well as a gifted program. Their proficiency rating is 76% in reading and 62% in math.
HOWARD COUNTY
Howard County is ranked the highest county in the state for education. They have some of the best elementary schools in the state and the Baltimore area.
1. CLARKSVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Clarksville Elementary School is located in Clarksville, Maryland, and is rated the top elementary school in Howard County as well as the top school in the Baltimore Area. The school
is also ranked 8th overall in the state. The teacher-student ratio is lower than the national average at 12 teachers for every one student. 85% of the students are proficient in reading and 87% in math, most likely due to their gifted program offered by the school.
2. WAVERLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Waverly Elementary School is located in Ellicott City, Maryland, and is ranked 2nd in Baltimore area public schools as well as 2nd in Howard County. It is ranked in the top 10 schools in the state and its teachers are ranked in the top 100 of the state. The reading proficiency rating is 80% and the math proficiency is 76%. They also offer a gifted program.
3. POINTERS RUN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Pointers Run Elementary School is located in Clarksville, Maryland, and is ranked 3rd best in Howard County as well as 3rd best in the Baltimore Area. They are ranked within the top 20 public elementary schools in the state, offering a gifted program. They also have above-average academics rating a 76% in reading and a 79% in math.
FREDERICK COUNTY
Fredrick County is ranked 5th in the state. They are ranked 7th in the state for safety and the 4th best for athletes.
1. CENTERVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Urbana Elementary School is located in Frederick, Maryland, and offers a gifted program. They are the second-highest-ranked elementary school in the county. They rank in the top 100 schools in the state. Their proficiency ratings are 73% in reading and 76% in math.
2. URBANA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Centerville Elementary School is located in Frederick, Maryland, and is the highest-ranked school in the county. They have the 7th best teachers in the county explaining their great proficiency ratings of 82% in reading and 72% in math.
3. KEMPTOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Kemptown Elementary School is located in Monrovia, Maryland, and is the third-highest ranked in the county. Their proficiency ratings are above average standing at 69% for reading and 64% in math.
HARFORD COUNTY
Harford County is ranked 2nd for counties in the Baltimore area. They rank 3rd overall for the best teachers in the state and 2nd for athletes.
1. BELAIR ELEMENTARY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Belair Elementary is located in Belair, Maryland, and is ranked 1st in Harford county. They have teachers g ranking in the top 20 of the state as well as ranking in the top 100 of the state. They have a 68% proficiency rating in reading and a 66% in math.
2. RING FACTORY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Ring Factory Elementary School is located in Belair, Maryland, and is the 2nd best public elementary school in Harford County. Their teachers rank 21st in the state and boast a 71% proficiency rating in reading and a 64% rating in math.
3. JARRETTSVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Jarrettsville Elementary school is located in Jarrettsville, Maryland, and is ranked 3rd best in Harford County. They have the 8th best teachers in the state while also having a 69% proficiency rating in reading and a 68% in math.
