Is Southwest Academy a good school?

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

How many students attend Southwest Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 739 students attended Southwest Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Southwest Academy?

Students at Southwest Academy are 58% African American, 17% Asian, 15% Hispanic, 6% White, 3% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Southwest Academy attend?

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

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:
270^th of 328 Maryland Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,459

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: 14.1

Number of students: 739

Racial breakdown:

African American:

57.8%

Asian:

16.9%

Hispanic:

14.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 64.4%

See top rated Maryland middle schools

Compare Southwest Academy to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Southwest Academy ranks worse than 82.3% of middle schools in Maryland. It also ranks 22^nd among 27 ranked middle schools in the Baltimore County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.33. (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 Southwest Academy is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (57.8%), Asian (16.9%), Hispanic (14.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 64.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Southwest Academy is 14.1, which is the 7^th best among 27 middle schools in the Baltimore County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Southwest Academy employs 52.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Southwest Academy is $18,459, which is the 7^th 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 270^th of 328 Maryland public middle schools. (See Southwest Academy 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 Southwest Academy

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Rank History for all students at Southwest Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	78.08	53^rd	252	79.0%
2005	80.99	47^th	255	81.6%
2006	82.57	42^nd	254	83.5%
2007	84.81	37^th	264	86.0%
2008	18.18	241^st	283	14.8%
2009	36.84	224^th	301	25.6%
2010	39.51	224^th	324	30.9%
2011	41.77	195^th	309	36.9%
2012	42.35	198^th	314	36.9%
2013	41.16	203^rd	316	35.8%
2014	49.48	195^th	339	42.5%
2015	36.21	201^st	315	36.2%
2016	29.58	219^th	314	30.3%
2017	34.98	206^th	317	35.0%
2018	21.61	248^th	328	24.4%
2019	17.80	253^rd	316	19.9%
2021	39.72	173^rd	303	42.9%
2022	24.75	255^th	333	23.4%
2023	28.67	211^th	322	34.5%
2024	17.33	270^th	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	160^th	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	157^th	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	181^st	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	87^th	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	158^th	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	74^th	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.

Data source: Maryland State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, January 26, 2021

This school is bad and it is not good Close Quote

Enrollment information for Southwest Academy

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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

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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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

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

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

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

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total 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 253^rd of 316 Middle schools	Ranks 211^th of 322 Middle schools	14.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	820	739	9.9%
African American	582	427	26.6%
American Indian	5	4	20%
Asian	84	125	48.8%
Hispanic	99	110	11.1%
Pacific Islander	0	3
White	30	45	50%
Two or More Races	20	25	25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	68.8%	64.4%	4.4%

Schools Near Southwest Academy

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 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	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
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
Meadowood Education Center	Public	6-8	1849 Gywnn Oak Ave	Baltimore	21207	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 809-6888	19	10	1.9	73.7%	0 (0.0%)	13 (68.4%)	5 (26.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (5.3%)								(n/a)						7.1
Woodlawn Middle	Public	6-8	3033 Saint Lukes Ln	Baltimore	21207	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-1304	633	43	14.8	67.1%	10 (1.6%)	533 (84.2%)	69 (10.9%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	14 (2.2%)	29	208^th of 328 public middle schools	36.6%		24.9	231^st of 322 public middle schools	28.3%	23					37.7	32.4	31.6	33.7	8.1		16.9	$18,777	$2,458	$16,318
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
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
Sudbrook Magnet Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	4300 Bedford Rd	Baltimore	21208	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(410) 887-6720	929	74	12.6	50.1%	96 (10.3%)	517 (55.7%)	243 (26.2%)	43 (4.6%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	25 (2.7%)	45.4	145^th of 328 public middle schools	55.8%		35	184^th of 322 public middle schools	42.9%	39	13.8			11.0	43.8	50.6	41.6	45.3	32.7	20.0	24.0	$18,221	$1,828	$16,393
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
Patapsco Middle	Public	6-8	8885 Old Frederick Rd	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2848	661	49	13.6	18.3%	242 (36.6%)	71 (10.7%)	66 (10.0%)	250 (37.8%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (3.9%)	84.3	42^nd of 328 public middle schools	87.2%		81.6	50^th of 322 public middle schools	84.5%	8	49.4	25.5	17.0	49.0	64.7	65.8	64.6	65.0	75.9	70.9	45.5	$16,954	$667	$16,287
Windsor Mill Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	8300 Windsor Mill Rd	Baltimore	21209	Baltimore city	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(410) 887-0000	626	41	15.2	55.0%	9 (1.4%)	550 (87.9%)	42 (6.7%)	9 (1.4%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (1.9%)	26.5	218^th of 328 public middle schools	33.5%		20.3	257^th of 322 public middle schools	20.2%	39	9.2			9.4	35.7	32.0	33.5	33.8	31.5	23.3	16.1	$17,413	$1,912	$15,501
Northwest Academy of Health Sciences	Public, Magnet	6-8	4627 Old Court Rd	Baltimore	21208	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(410) 887-0742	759	52	14.5	61.9%	20 (2.6%)	672 (88.5%)	40 (5.3%)	6 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.5%)	16 (2.1%)	16.3	275^th of 328 public middle schools	16.2%		20	262^nd of 322 public middle schools	18.6%	13					22.6	34.3	23.9	26.7	13.1		5.9	$19,648	$1,798	$17,849

Southwest Academy

Baltimore County Public Schools:

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Rank History for Southwest Academy

Rank History for all students at Southwest Academy

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Southwest Academy

Rank History for Female students at Southwest Academy

Rank History for Male students at Southwest Academy

Rank History for Asian students at Southwest Academy

Rank History for African American students at Southwest Academy

Rank History for Hispanic students at Southwest Academy

Review counts

Enrollment information for Southwest Academy

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Southwest Academy

Student/Teacher Ratio Southwest Academy

Per Pupil Expenditures for Southwest Academy

Impact of COVID-19 on Southwest Academy

Rankings

Student Body

Schools Near Southwest Academy