Is Arbutus Middle a good school?

Arbutus Middle ranks 136 th of 328 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Arbutus Middle?

In the 2022-23 school year, 970 students attended Arbutus Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Arbutus Middle?

Students at Arbutus Middle are 48% White, 19% African American, 17% Asian, 8% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic.

Arbutus Middle

Summary:

Arbutus Middle is a public middle school in Baltimore, Maryland, serving around 970 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Baltimore County Public Schools district, which is ranked 17th out of 25 districts in the state.

Arbutus Middle has a relatively diverse student population, with a racial makeup of 47.84% White, 18.87% African American, 7.11% Hispanic, and 17.42% Asian. Academically, the school's performance is generally on par or slightly above the Baltimore County and Maryland state averages in English Language Arts (ELA), but below in Mathematics. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 44% of Arbutus Middle students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 41.9% for Baltimore County and 48.4% for the state. However, in Mathematics, only 11.1% of Arbutus Middle students were proficient or better, compared to 19.3% for Baltimore County and 24.1% for the state. The school's performance also varies across different student subgroups, with some groups, such as female students, performing better than others.

Compared to nearby schools, Arbutus Middle's performance is generally on par or slightly better than some, such as Lansdowne Middle and Southwest Academy, but lags behind the higher-performing schools in the neighboring Howard County district, such as Bonnie Branch Middle and Elkridge Landing Middle.

Detail:

Public 6-8

5525 Shelbourne Rd
Baltimore, MD 21227-2736

(410) 887-1402

District: Baltimore County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
136^th of 328 Maryland Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,786

Feeder schools for Arbutus Middle:

Elementary:	Arbutus Elementary
	Catonsville Elementary
	Halethorpe Elementary
	Relay Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 16.5

Number of students: 970

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.8%

African American:

18.9%

Asian:

17.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 56%

See top rated Maryland middle schools

Compare Arbutus Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Arbutus Middle ranks better than 58.5% of middle schools in Maryland. It also ranks 7^th among 27 ranked middle schools in the Baltimore County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 49.19. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Arbutus Middle is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (47.8%), African American (18.9%), Asian (17.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 56% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Arbutus Middle is 16.5. 25 middle schools in the Baltimore County Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Arbutus Middle employs 58.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Arbutus Middle is $15,786. 22 middle schools in the Baltimore County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Arbutus Middle was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Arbutus Middle 136^th of 328 Maryland public middle schools. (See Arbutus Middle in the ranking list.)

Baltimore County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Baltimore County Public Schools 17^th of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Arbutus Middle

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Rank History for all students at Arbutus Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	57.10	108^th	252	57.1%
2005	51.35	126^th	255	50.6%
2006	56.31	108^th	254	57.5%
2007	60.43	101^st	264	61.7%
2008	59.37	138^th	283	51.2%
2009	67.33	114^th	301	62.1%
2010	67.17	127^th	324	60.8%
2011	61.94	135^th	309	56.3%
2012	55.16	163^rd	314	48.1%
2013	53.95	151^st	316	52.2%
2014	55.21	168^th	339	50.4%
2015	55.15	126^th	315	60.0%
2016	54.38	124^th	314	60.5%
2017	52.34	149^th	317	53.0%
2018	38.45	195^th	328	40.5%
2019	40.52	172^nd	316	45.6%
2021	61.55	92^nd	303	69.6%
2022	48.34	161^st	333	51.7%
2023	44.79	148^th	322	54.0%
2024	49.19	136^th	328	58.5%

See the entire list of Maryland Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Arbutus Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	34.33	82^nd	136	39.7%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Arbutus Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	57.87	89^th	273	67.4%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Arbutus Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	63.63	89^th	303	70.6%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Arbutus Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	54.59	115^th	288	60.1%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Arbutus Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	18.65	104^th	116	10.3%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Arbutus Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	37.74	165^th	259	36.3%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Arbutus Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	37.85	123^rd	207	40.6%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Arbutus Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	40.42	124^th	210	41.0%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Maryland State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Maryland State Department of Education

Review counts

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100%

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Enrollment information for Arbutus Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	382	27	38	6	1	n/a	n/a	1	455
1990	619	65	68	11	4	n/a	n/a	0	767
1991	674	83	24	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	787
1992	711	99	20	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	836
1993	777	115	23	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	924
1994	796	93	27	8	4	n/a	n/a	0	928
1995	745	97	29	5	5	n/a	n/a	0	881
1996	745	97	29	5	5	n/a	n/a	0	881
1997	678	84	24	4	4	n/a	n/a	0	794
1998	674	107	22	9	4	n/a	n/a	0	816
1999	639	115	27	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	790
2000	639	110	35	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	792
2001	703	150	53	9	4	n/a	n/a	0	919
2002	736	165	52	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	962
2003	736	165	52	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	962
2004	695	182	48	11	2	n/a	n/a	0	938
2005	678	190	51	11	7	n/a	n/a	0	937
2006	611	231	46	15	7	n/a	n/a	0	910
2007	561	221	43	20	7	n/a	n/a	0	852
2008	533	212	47	23	5	n/a	n/a	0	820
2009	512	206	49	25	5	n/a	n/a	0	797
2010	484	191	48	24	5	n/a	n/a	0	752
2011	438	171	49	28	3	0	16	0	705
2012	441	185	55	32	1	0	20	0	734
2013	457	169	61	34	3	0	31	0	755
2014	489	169	69	37	2	0	41	0	807
2015	490	166	72	39	0	0	53	0	820
2016	502	147	93	29	1	1	57	0	830
2017	515	144	111	36	4	0	57	0	867
2018	504	183	120	44	3	1	57	0	912
2019	526	206	120	48	4	1	59	0	964
2020	489	214	136	40	4	1	67	0	951
2021	522	205	140	46	6	2	83	0	1004
2022	483	207	153	65	3	2	88	0	1001
2023	464	183	169	69	5	2	78	0	970

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Arbutus Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	455	30.3	15.0	n/a
1990	767	49.5	15.4	14.3
1991	787	52.6	14.9	8.9
1992	836	56.0	14.9	10.9
1993	924	68.5	13.5	9.8
1994	928	62.7	14.8	13.8
1995	881	56.9	15.5	16.5
1996	881	56.9	15.5	16.5
1997	794	51.8	15.3	15.9
1998	816	51.5	15.8	19
1999	790	51.5	15.3	23.5
2000	792	53.0	14.9	23.1
2001	919	57.5	16.0	20.2
2002	962	60.0	16.0	20.8
2003	962	60.0	16.0	20.8
2004	938	61.6	15.2	24.9
2005	937	62.0	15.1	30
2006	910	61.0	14.9	31.5
2007	852	58.4	14.6	30.3
2008	820	57.9	14.2	31.8
2009	797	56.9	14.0	36
2010	752	54.0	13.9	39.4
2011	705	52.0	13.5	40.1
2012	734	50.5	14.5	43.2
2013	755	46.5	16.2	40.5
2014	807	52.0	15.5	42
2015	820	52.0	15.7	43.4
2016	830	54.0	15.3	44.7
2017	867	51.5	16.8	44.1
2018	912	59.4	15.3	49.7
2019	964	60.4	15.9	49.6
2020	951	67.5	14.0	50.5
2021	1004	66.3	15.1	49.8
2022	1001	60.0	16.6	40.5
2023	970	58.5	16.5	56

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Arbutus Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	455	30.3	15.0	n/a
1990	767	49.5	15.4	14.3
1991	787	52.6	14.9	8.9
1992	836	56.0	14.9	10.9
1993	924	68.5	13.5	9.8
1994	928	62.7	14.8	13.8
1995	881	56.9	15.5	16.5
1996	881	56.9	15.5	16.5
1997	794	51.8	15.3	15.9
1998	816	51.5	15.8	19
1999	790	51.5	15.3	23.5
2000	792	53.0	14.9	23.1
2001	919	57.5	16.0	20.2
2002	962	60.0	16.0	20.8
2003	962	60.0	16.0	20.8
2004	938	61.6	15.2	24.9
2005	937	62.0	15.1	30
2006	910	61.0	14.9	31.5
2007	852	58.4	14.6	30.3
2008	820	57.9	14.2	31.8
2009	797	56.9	14.0	36
2010	752	54.0	13.9	39.4
2011	705	52.0	13.5	40.1
2012	734	50.5	14.5	43.2
2013	755	46.5	16.2	40.5
2014	807	52.0	15.5	42
2015	820	52.0	15.7	43.4
2016	830	54.0	15.3	44.7
2017	867	51.5	16.8	44.1
2018	912	59.4	15.3	49.7
2019	964	60.4	15.9	49.6
2020	951	67.5	14.0	50.5
2021	1004	66.3	15.1	49.8
2022	1001	60.0	16.6	40.5
2023	970	58.5	16.5	56

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Arbutus Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$506 (3.7%)	$13,152 (96.3%)	$13,658
2020	$595 (4.3%)	$13,172 (95.7%)	$13,767
2021	$612 (4.7%)	$12,380 (95.3%)	$12,993
2022	$997 (7.7%)	$11,952 (92.3%)	$12,949
2023	$1,541 (9.8%)	$14,245 (90.2%)	$15,786

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Arbutus Middle

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 172^nd of 316 Middle schools	Ranks 148^th of 322 Middle schools	8.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	964	970	0.6%
African American	206	183	11.2%
American Indian	4	5	25%
Asian	120	169	40.8%
Hispanic	48	69	43.8%
Pacific Islander	1	2	100%
White	526	464	11.8%
Two or More Races	59	78	32.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	49.6%	56%	6.4%

Schools Near Arbutus Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCAP Mathematics (2024)					MCAP English Language Arts (2024)					MCAP Algebra I (2024)	MCAP Geometry (2024)	MCAP Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Geometry End of Course	MCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Arbutus Middle	Public	6-8	5525 Shelbourne Rd	Baltimore	21227	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 887-1402	970	59	16.5	56.0%	464 (47.8%)	183 (18.9%)	69 (7.1%)	169 (17.4%)	5 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	78 (8.0%)	49.2	136^th of 328 public middle schools	58.5%		44.8	148^th of 322 public middle schools	54.0%	12		18.3			11.1		48.7	44.3	38.6	44.0	24.0	9.5	29.4	$15,786	$1,541	$14,245
Elkridge Landing Middle	Public	6-8	7085 Montgomery Rd	Elkridge	21075	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5040	680	53	12.9	27.9%	248 (36.5%)	181 (26.6%)	61 (9.0%)	143 (21.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	45 (6.6%)	61.4	99^th of 328 public middle schools	69.8%		71	74^th of 322 public middle schools	77.0%	25		22.0	18.3	8.3	28.9		54.1	57.3	60.9	57.4	72.9	56.1	32.1	$18,772	$705	$18,066
Lansdowne Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	2400 Lansdowne Rd	Baltimore	21227	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	Yes	(410) 887-1411	869	64	13.6	62.0%	195 (22.4%)	207 (23.8%)	352 (40.5%)	47 (5.4%)	7 (0.8%)	2 (0.2%)	59 (6.8%)	7.4	319^th of 328 public middle schools	2.7%		5.4	315^th of 322 public middle schools	2.2%	4							13.6	15.9	13.9	14.5			6.8	$17,712	$2,449	$15,263
Bonnie Branch Middle	Public	6-8	4979 Ilchester Rd	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2580	682	49	13.8	25.7%	253 (37.1%)	144 (21.1%)	97 (14.2%)	133 (19.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (7.9%)	67.7	83^rd of 328 public middle schools	74.7%		72	70^th of 322 public middle schools	78.3%	13		39.6	14.2	13.6	39.6		55.8	57.7	54.5	56.0	80.8	60.8	33.1	$17,697	$790	$16,907
Southwest Academy	Public, Magnet	6-8	6200 Johnnycake Rd	Baltimore	21207	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(410) 887-0825	739	52	14.1	64.4%	45 (6.1%)	427 (57.8%)	110 (14.9%)	125 (16.9%)	4 (0.5%)	3 (0.4%)	25 (3.4%)	17.3	270^th of 328 public middle schools	17.7%		28.7	211^th of 322 public middle schools	34.5%	59							22.0	25.9	27.5	25.1	11.4		12.7	$18,459	$2,039	$16,420
Catonsville Middle	Public	6-8	2301 Edmondson Ave	Catonsville	21228	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 887-0803	805	47	17.2	40.1%	412 (51.2%)	166 (20.6%)	70 (8.7%)	119 (14.8%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	35 (4.3%)	67.8	82^nd of 328 public middle schools	75.0%		58.8	107^th of 322 public middle schools	66.8%	25		24.8			15.8		53.0	52.2	55.5	53.5	23.9	15.9	37.6	$15,544	$1,757	$13,787
Lindale Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	415 Andover Rd	Linthicum	21090	Anne Arundel County	Anne Arundel County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(410) 691-4344	1,178	73	16.1	59.4%	423 (35.9%)	341 (28.9%)	289 (24.5%)	49 (4.2%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	70 (5.9%)	34.2	186^th of 328 public middle schools	43.3%		33	193^rd of 322 public middle schools	40.1%	7		10.4	14.2		13.7		39.5	37.2	40.2	38.9	65.4		19.5	$14,758	$1,340	$13,417
The Historic Cherry Hill Elementary/Middle	Public	3-8	801 Bridgeview Road	Baltimore	21225	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-1392	590	36	16.3	90.2%	6 (1.0%)	552 (93.6%)	29 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	9.1	308^th of 328 public middle schools	6.1%		4.2	317^th of 322 public middle schools	1.6%	9	5.1					6.3	20.5	17.5	15.9	10.3				$23,936	$1,806	$22,131
Katherine Johnson Global Academy	Public	3-8	1101 Braddish Avenue	Baltimore	21216	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-0581	541	30	18.0	93.0%	11 (2.0%)	505 (93.3%)	19 (3.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	4.4	327^th of 328 public middle schools	0.3%					(n/a)							11.4	13.6	6.8	8.7				$21,362	$1,037	$20,325
Thomas Viaduct Middle	Public	6-8	7000 Banbury Drive	Hanover	21076	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-8711	858	62	13.7	47.3%	105 (12.2%)	392 (45.7%)	175 (20.4%)	135 (15.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (5.6%)	35.2	181^st of 328 public middle schools	44.8%		44.2	151^st of 322 public middle schools	53.1%	30		14.2			15.4		34.3	36.2	42.9	37.7	33.1	64.9	20.8	$16,327	$823	$15,504

Arbutus Middle

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Rank History for Arbutus Middle

Rank History for all students at Arbutus Middle

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Arbutus Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Arbutus Middle

Rank History for Female students at Arbutus Middle

Rank History for Male students at Arbutus Middle

Rank History for Asian students at Arbutus Middle

Rank History for African American students at Arbutus Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at Arbutus Middle

Rank History for White students at Arbutus Middle

Review counts

Enrollment information for Arbutus Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Arbutus Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Arbutus Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for Arbutus Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on Arbutus Middle

Rankings

Student Body

Schools Near Arbutus Middle

Frequently Asked Questions about Arbutus Middle

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