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Southwest Academy

Summary:

Southwest Academy is a public magnet middle school in Baltimore, Maryland, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 739. The school is part of the Baltimore County Public Schools district, which is ranked 17th out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Compared to nearby schools, Southwest Academy has a more diverse student population, with higher percentages of Asian (16.91%) and Hispanic (14.88%) students. However, its academic performance, as measured by MCAP test scores, is generally lower than the state and district averages. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 25.1% of Southwest Academy students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 41.9% in the Baltimore County Public Schools district and 48.4% statewide. The school also has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (64.41% in 2022-2023), indicating a higher proportion of students from low-income families.

Southwest Academy's performance varies among different student subgroups, with Hispanic students ranking 74th out of 207 Maryland middle schools in English Language Arts in the 2020-2021 school year, while Asian students ranked 87th out of 116 schools. The nearby schools, such as Windsor Mill Middle, Northwest Academy of Health Sciences, and Arbutus Middle, generally perform better than Southwest Academy on academic measures, despite being part of the same district. Schools in the neighboring Howard County Public Schools district, such as Bonnie Branch Middle and Patapsco Middle, significantly outperform Southwest Academy.


Detail:

Public, Magnet 6-8

 6200 Johnnycake Rd
       Baltimore, MD  21207-3929

(410) 887-0825

District: Baltimore County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
270th of 328 Maryland Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $18,459 Help


Students who attend Southwest Academy usually attend:

High:    Woodlawn High

Feeder schools for Southwest Academy:

Elementary:    Chadwick Elementary
    Edmondson Heights Elementary
    Johnnycake Elementary
    Woodbridge Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  14.4 Help
Number of students:  813

Racial breakdown:

African American:
54.4%
Hispanic:
19.1%
Asian:
16.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  64.6% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Southwest Academy ranks worse than 82.3% of middle schools in Maryland. It also ranks 22nd among 27 ranked middle schools in the Baltimore County Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.33. (See more...)
Help
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
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Compare Details Student population at Southwest Academy is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (54.4%), Hispanic (19.1%), Asian (16.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 64.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Southwest Academy is 14.4, which is the 12th best among 27 middle schools in the Baltimore County Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Southwest Academy employs 56.3 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Southwest Academy is $18,459, which is the 7th highest among 27 middle schools in the Baltimore County Public Schools District.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Southwest Academy was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Southwest Academy 270th of 328 Maryland public middle schools. (See Southwest Academy in the ranking list.)

Baltimore County Public Schools:

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

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Southwest Academy

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Southwest Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 78.08 53rd 252 79.0%
2005 80.99 47th 255 81.6%
2006 82.57 42nd 254 83.5%
2007 84.81 37th 264 86.0%
2008 18.18 241st 283 14.8%
2009 36.84 224th 301 25.6%
2010 39.51 224th 324 30.9%
2011 41.77 195th 309 36.9%
2012 42.35 198th 314 36.9%
2013 41.16 203rd 316 35.8%
2014 49.48 195th 339 42.5%
2015 36.21 201st 315 36.2%
2016 29.58 219th 314 30.3%
2017 34.98 206th 317 35.0%
2018 21.61 248th 328 24.4%
2019 17.80 253rd 316 19.9%
2021 39.72 173rd 303 42.9%
2022 24.75 255th 333 23.4%
2023 28.67 211th 322 34.5%
2024 17.33 270th 328 17.7%
See the entire list of Maryland Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Southwest Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 43.21 160th 273 41.4%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Southwest Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 44.24 157th 303 48.2%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Southwest Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 35.01 181st 288 37.2%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Southwest Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 32.25 87th 116 25.0%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Southwest Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 39.86 158th 259 39.0%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Southwest Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 54.00 74th 207 64.3%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Hispanic 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.

Southwest Academy Test Scores
Tests: 
  
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Years: 
  
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Data source: Maryland State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Open Quote This school is bad and it is not good Close Quote



Enrollment information for Southwest Academy

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 379 381 37 10 1 n/a n/a -1 807
1990 383 429 29 8 0 n/a n/a 0 849
1991 359 467 32 6 1 n/a n/a 0 865
1992 348 505 41 10 2 n/a n/a 0 906
1993 324 555 45 7 2 n/a n/a 0 933
1994 302 606 57 8 1 n/a n/a 0 974
1995 262 719 58 11 0 n/a n/a 0 1050
1996 262 719 58 11 0 n/a n/a 0 1050
1997 261 803 53 10 0 n/a n/a 0 1127
1998 242 904 52 12 0 n/a n/a 0 1210
1999 211 931 57 15 1 n/a n/a 0 1215
2000 183 925 62 11 4 n/a n/a 0 1185
2001 168 1016 66 20 5 n/a n/a 0 1275
2002 114 1129 58 16 5 n/a n/a 0 1322
2003 114 1129 58 16 5 n/a n/a 0 1322
2004 100 1135 65 17 3 n/a n/a 0 1320
2005 76 1081 80 27 1 n/a n/a 0 1265
2006 58 949 65 34 4 n/a n/a 0 1110
2007 40 789 55 35 1 n/a n/a 0 920
2008 27 689 47 36 4 n/a n/a 0 803
2009 22 618 54 29 2 n/a n/a 0 725
2010 24 624 59 38 3 n/a n/a 0 748
2011 29 575 68 40 3 0 11 0 726
2012 28 580 70 46 4 0 15 0 743
2013 26 571 62 45 0 0 25 0 729
2014 24 626 76 49 0 0 22 0 797
2015 17 612 93 61 3 0 15 0 801
2016 22 586 92 69 4 0 17 0 790
2017 23 592 92 85 4 0 13 0 809
2018 31 644 100 92 2 0 19 0 888
2019 30 582 84 99 5 0 20 0 820
2020 30 564 93 106 4 0 26 0 823
2021 31 513 111 109 1 1 28 0 794
2022 28 503 110 106 2 3 32 0 784
2023 45 427 125 110 4 3 25 0 739
2024 57 442 133 155 5 2 19 0 813

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 Southwest Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 807 54.1 14.9 n/a
1990 849 58.4 14.5 7.9
1991 865 61.4 14.0 7.6
1992 906 62.5 14.4 11.7
1993 933 69.2 13.5 11.4
1994 974 58.0 16.8 20
1995 1050 64.3 16.3 28
1996 1050 64.3 16.3 28
1997 1127 73.3 15.4 29.1
1998 1210 76.5 15.8 27.8
1999 1215 76.5 15.9 40.2
2000 1185 84.7 14.0 36.9
2001 1275 86.5 14.7 40.9
2002 1322 85.0 15.6 39.9
2003 1322 85.0 15.6 39.9
2004 1320 87.0 15.2 40.2
2005 1265 84.0 15.1 40
2006 1110 79.0 14.1 47.8
2007 920 56.5 16.3 51.5
2008 803 55.5 14.5 57.4
2009 725 53.0 13.7 58.8
2010 748 51.0 14.6 60.7
2011 726 51.2 14.1 63.4
2012 743 56.0 13.2 70
2013 729 57.0 12.7 70.8
2014 797 51.5 15.4 65.4
2015 801 55.0 14.5 68.2
2016 790 54.0 14.6 61.9
2017 809 55.0 14.7 61.2
2018 888 53.6 16.5 67
2019 820 55.5 14.7 68.8
2020 823 53.0 15.5 67.3
2021 794 54.6 14.5 72
2022 784 50.7 15.4 47.7
2023 739 52.3 14.1 64.4
2024 813 56.3 14.4 64.6

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 Southwest Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 807 54.1 14.9 n/a
1990 849 58.4 14.5 7.9
1991 865 61.4 14.0 7.6
1992 906 62.5 14.4 11.7
1993 933 69.2 13.5 11.4
1994 974 58.0 16.8 20
1995 1050 64.3 16.3 28
1996 1050 64.3 16.3 28
1997 1127 73.3 15.4 29.1
1998 1210 76.5 15.8 27.8
1999 1215 76.5 15.9 40.2
2000 1185 84.7 14.0 36.9
2001 1275 86.5 14.7 40.9
2002 1322 85.0 15.6 39.9
2003 1322 85.0 15.6 39.9
2004 1320 87.0 15.2 40.2
2005 1265 84.0 15.1 40
2006 1110 79.0 14.1 47.8
2007 920 56.5 16.3 51.5
2008 803 55.5 14.5 57.4
2009 725 53.0 13.7 58.8
2010 748 51.0 14.6 60.7
2011 726 51.2 14.1 63.4
2012 743 56.0 13.2 70
2013 729 57.0 12.7 70.8
2014 797 51.5 15.4 65.4
2015 801 55.0 14.5 68.2
2016 790 54.0 14.6 61.9
2017 809 55.0 14.7 61.2
2018 888 53.6 16.5 67
2019 820 55.5 14.7 68.8
2020 823 53.0 15.5 67.3
2021 794 54.6 14.5 72
2022 784 50.7 15.4 47.7
2023 739 52.3 14.1 64.4
2024 813 56.3 14.4 64.6

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 Southwest Academy

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $549 (3.7%) $14,362 (96.3%) $14,911
2020 $530 (3.6%) $14,060 (96.4%) $14,590
2021 $679 (4.6%) $14,142 (95.4%) $14,821
2022 $969 (6.5%) $14,006 (93.5%) $14,975
2023 $2,039 (11.0%) $16,420 (89.0%) $18,459

Data source: Maryland Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Southwest Academy

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 253rd of 316 Middle schoolsRanks 211th of 322 Middle schools
 14.5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students820739
 9.9%
African American582427
 26.6%
American Indian54
 20%
Asian84125
 48.8%
Hispanic99110
 11.1%
Pacific Islander03
White3045
 50%
Two or More Races2025
 25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients68.8%64.4%
 4.4%

Schools Near Southwest Academy








Frequently Asked Questions about Southwest Academy

Students at Southwest Academy are 54% African American, 19% Hispanic, 16% Asian, 7% White, 2% Two or more races.

Students who attend Southwest Academy usually go on to attend Woodlawn High

Southwest Academy ranks in the bottom 17.7% of Maryland middle schools.

In the 2023-24 school year, 813 students attended Southwest Academy.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Maryland State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.




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