Dowell Elementary

Q: Is Dowell Elementary a good school?

Dowell Elementary ranks 355 th of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Dowell Elementary is a public elementary school located in Lusby, Maryland, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 585. It is part of the Calvert County Public Schools district, which is ranked 5 out of 25 in Maryland and rated 4 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Dowell Elementary stands out for its higher percentage of White students (68.38%) compared to nearby schools, which tend to have more diverse student populations. The school's mathematics proficiency rates are generally higher than the state and district averages, particularly in 3rd and 4th grades, but its 5th-grade mathematics proficiency lags behind. In English Language Arts, Dowell's proficiency rates are higher than the state average but lower than the district average, especially in the upper grades. Additionally, Dowell's science proficiency for 5th grade is significantly lower than the district and state averages.

Compared to the nearby schools, such as St. Leonard Elementary and Patuxent Appeal Elementary Campus, Dowell Elementary has a lower percentage of free and reduced lunch recipients (41.54%) and a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 14.8. However, the school's overall performance, as measured by the SchoolDigger ranking, has fluctuated over the years, suggesting inconsistent or variable performance. Additionally, Dowell Elementary's performance for specific student subgroups, such as male students and low socioeconomic status students, is relatively weaker compared to the overall school rankings. The nearby Chesapeake Charter School, which is in a different district, outperforms Dowell Elementary and the other nearby schools in both mathematics and English Language Arts proficiency across all grade levels.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

12680 H G Trueman Rd
Lusby, MD 20657

(443) 550-9480

District: Calvert County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
355^th of 859 Maryland Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,453

Students who attend Dowell Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Mill Creek Middle
High:	Patuxent High

Student/teacher ratio: 14.8

Number of students: 585

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.4%

Two or more races:

12.5%

African American:

9.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 41.5%

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Compare Dowell Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Dowell Elementary ranks better than 58.7% of elementary schools in Maryland. It also ranks 11^th among 12 ranked elementary schools in the Calvert County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 52.68. (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 Racial makeup is: White (68.4%), two or more races (12.5%), African American (9.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 41.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dowell Elementary is 14.8, which is the 3^rd best among 12 elementary schools in the Calvert County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Dowell Elementary employs 39.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dowell Elementary is $16,453, which is the 6^th highest among 12 elementary schools in the Calvert County Public Schools District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Dowell Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Calvert County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Calvert County Public Schools 5^th of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Dowell Elementary.

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Rank History for Dowell Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Dowell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	46.51	495^th	803	38.4%
2005	48.43	457^th	805	43.2%
2006	42.32	511^th	804	36.4%
2007	33.47	595^th	818	27.3%
2008	59.08	401^st	838	52.1%
2009	56.27	430^th	850	49.4%
2010	55.16	443^rd	855	48.2%
2011	67.21	293^rd	853	65.7%
2012	72.65	217^th	857	74.7%
2013	60.25	359^th	847	57.6%
2014	64.29	352^nd	867	59.4%
2015	51.41	378^th	859	56.0%
2016	59.21	322^nd	845	61.9%
2017	71.69	248^th	847	70.7%
2018	56.31	336^th	857	60.8%
2019	62.44	293^rd	853	65.7%
2021	36.63	397^th	802	50.5%
2022	48.97	410^th	862	52.4%
2023	47.03	387^th	855	54.7%
2024	52.68	355^th	859	58.7%

See the entire list of Maryland Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dowell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	40.89	302^nd	546	44.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Dowell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	45.29	321^st	796	59.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Dowell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	38.37	373^rd	788	52.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Dowell Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	25.70	383^rd	528	27.5%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary 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

All ratings (Avg rating: 2.3)

33%

67%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, May 31, 2013

A kindergartner who brought a cowboy-style cap gun onto his Calvert County school bus was suspended for 10 days after showing a friend the orange-tipped toy, which he had tucked inside his backpack on his way to school, according to his family and a lawyer.

The child was questioned for more than two hours before his mother was called, she said, adding that he uncharacteristically wet his pants during the episode. The boy is 5 — “all bugs and frogs and cowboys,” his mother said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/cowboy-style-cap-gun-gets-5-year-old-ousted-from-school-in-calvert-county/2013/05/30/a3a8a178-c93c-11e2-9245-773c0123c027_story.html Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, October 2, 2010

I have found this principal to be very difficult to work with when issues are brought forth. My wife and I have consulted with an attourney in regards to this principal, and her dictator attitude. The attourney has sued this school before, and won. I would have sued this school if I had a $7,000 retainer fee. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Dowell Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2000	611	154	14	10	3	n/a	n/a	792
2001	578	144	19	8	2	n/a	n/a	751
2002	534	130	11	14	2	n/a	n/a	691
2003	534	130	11	14	2	n/a	n/a	691
2004	508	128	9	17	3	n/a	n/a	665
2005	498	125	8	20	3	n/a	n/a	654
2006	514	147	10	22	2	n/a	n/a	695
2007	509	142	9	24	2	n/a	n/a	686
2008	512	135	9	21	3	n/a	n/a	680
2009	497	138	9	28	2	n/a	n/a	674
2010	500	138	16	18	2	n/a	n/a	674
2011	461	93	11	49	1	3	44	662
2012	460	90	13	48	1	1	47	660
2013	461	77	12	47	2	0	63	662
2014	462	69	12	53	1	0	54	651
2015	449	72	9	42	1	0	60	633
2016	457	71	13	45	2	0	63	651
2017	401	58	7	46	1	0	58	571
2018	377	56	16	45	2	0	52	548
2019	399	52	14	40	3	0	63	571
2020	414	55	14	44	3	0	74	604
2021	374	46	15	32	3	0	59	529
2022	389	50	15	35	2	0	66	557
2023	400	53	17	38	3	1	73	585

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 Dowell Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	792	38.8	20.4	20.6
2001	751	41.8	18.0	19.6
2002	691	39.3	17.6	20.8
2003	691	39.3	17.6	20.8
2004	665	38.3	17.4	21.1
2005	654	39.0	16.8	23.7
2006	695	39.0	17.8	22.9
2007	686	41.5	16.5	23.5
2008	680	42.5	16.0	22.2
2009	674	40.0	16.9	25.2
2010	674	40.5	16.6	28.8
2011	662	38.5	17.1	33.4
2012	660	38.0	17.3	37.3
2013	662	37.0	17.8	35
2014	651	35.0	18.6	37.3
2015	633	37.0	17.1	37.9
2016	651	38.0	17.1	38.9
2017	571	35.3	16.1	39.4
2018	548	35.1	15.6	35
2019	571	34.9	16.3	31.5
2020	604	38.8	15.5	27.2
2021	529	38.3	13.8	34.8
2022	557	37.1	15.0	33.6
2023	585	39.3	14.8	41.5

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 Dowell Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	792	38.8	20.4	20.6
2001	751	41.8	18.0	19.6
2002	691	39.3	17.6	20.8
2003	691	39.3	17.6	20.8
2004	665	38.3	17.4	21.1
2005	654	39.0	16.8	23.7
2006	695	39.0	17.8	22.9
2007	686	41.5	16.5	23.5
2008	680	42.5	16.0	22.2
2009	674	40.0	16.9	25.2
2010	674	40.5	16.6	28.8
2011	662	38.5	17.1	33.4
2012	660	38.0	17.3	37.3
2013	662	37.0	17.8	35
2014	651	35.0	18.6	37.3
2015	633	37.0	17.1	37.9
2016	651	38.0	17.1	38.9
2017	571	35.3	16.1	39.4
2018	548	35.1	15.6	35
2019	571	34.9	16.3	31.5
2020	604	38.8	15.5	27.2
2021	529	38.3	13.8	34.8
2022	557	37.1	15.0	33.6
2023	585	39.3	14.8	41.5

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 Dowell Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$498 (3.6%)	$13,466 (96.4%)	$13,964
2020	$573 (4.1%)	$13,476 (95.9%)	$14,048
2021	$898 (5.7%)	$14,725 (94.3%)	$15,623
2022	$800 (5.1%)	$14,952 (94.9%)	$15,752
2023	$1,217 (7.4%)	$15,235 (92.6%)	$16,453

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Dowell Elementary

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 293^rd of 853 Elementary schools	Ranks 387^th of 855 Elementary schools	10.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	571	585	2.5%
African American	52	53	1.9%
American Indian	3	3
Asian	14	17	21.4%
Hispanic	40	38	5%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	399	400	0.3%
Two or More Races	63	73	15.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	31.5%	41.5%	10%

Schools Near Dowell Elementary

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 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 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Dowell Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12680 H G Trueman Rd	Lusby	20657	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 550-9480	585	39	14.8	41.5%	400 (68.4%)	53 (9.1%)	38 (6.5%)	17 (2.9%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	73 (12.5%)	52.7	355^th of 859 public elementary schools	58.7%		47	387^th of 855 public elementary schools	54.7%	32	44.9	46.6	27.6	39.4	42.7	49.5	46.2	46.3	18.6	$16,453	$1,217	$15,235
Patuxent Appeal Elementary Campus	Public	PK, KG-5	11655 Hg Trueman Rd	Lusby	20657	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(443) 550-9710	712	47	15.0	54.9%	398 (55.9%)	132 (18.5%)	66 (9.3%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	112 (15.7%)	46.7	403^rd of 859 public elementary schools	53.1%		45.6	402^nd of 855 public elementary schools	53.0%	1	43.5	33.0	24.1	33.3	43.5	49.1	42.2	44.8	19.0	$19,108	$2,293	$16,815
Town Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	45805 Dent Dr	Lexington Park	20653	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 863-4044	216	16	13.2	45.4%	118 (54.6%)	33 (15.3%)	26 (12.0%)	8 (3.7%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (13.9%)	61.5	299^th of 859 public elementary schools	65.2%		66.9	260^th of 855 public elementary schools	69.6%	39	41.7	41.2	32.3	38.6	39.4	52.9	58.1	50.0	40.0	$20,170	$1,506	$18,664
Green Holly Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	46060 Millstone Landing Rd	Lexington Park	20653	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 863-4064	492	40	12.3	62.8%	180 (36.6%)	192 (39.0%)	53 (10.8%)	21 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (9.3%)	59.3	309^th of 859 public elementary schools	64.0%		44.8	410^th of 855 public elementary schools	52.0%	101	49.0	39.2	35.3	41.2	52.9	45.1	52.0	50.0	25.0	$23,479	$4,911	$18,568
Hollywood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	44345 Joy Chapel Rd	Hollywood	20636	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 373-4350	474	26	18.1	29.5%	324 (68.4%)	48 (10.1%)	36 (7.6%)	16 (3.4%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (9.9%)	69.6	244^th of 859 public elementary schools	71.6%		67.5	257^th of 855 public elementary schools	69.9%	13	62.9	33.3	34.2	42.9	61.8	65.8	57.9	61.9	28.9	$16,305	$1,537	$14,767
Greenview Knolls Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	45711 Military Ln	Great Mills	20634	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 863-4095	412	29	14.3	62.4%	131 (31.8%)	156 (37.9%)	40 (9.7%)	16 (3.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	68 (16.5%)	34.5	492^nd of 859 public elementary schools	42.7%		44.8	411^th of 855 public elementary schools	51.9%	81	27.1	26.1	19.7	23.8	37.5	42.6	31.8	36.6	22.1	$18,905	$2,598	$16,308
Lexington Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	46763 Shangri La Dr	Lexington Park	20653	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 863-4085	398	31	12.7	82.7%	70 (17.6%)	198 (49.7%)	64 (16.1%)	10 (2.5%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	53 (13.3%)	14	739^th of 859 public elementary schools	14.0%		16.7	703^rd of 855 public elementary schools	17.8%	36	18.2	9.4		9.1	21.8	31.1	12.1	21.4		$20,541	$2,912	$17,629
Evergreen Elementary School	Public	K-5	43765 Wildewood Parkway	California	20619	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 863-4060	736	43	17.1	23.6%	450 (61.1%)	101 (13.7%)	85 (11.5%)	42 (5.7%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	54 (7.3%)	80.5	161^st of 859 public elementary schools	81.3%		76.4	194^th of 855 public elementary schools	77.3%	33	54.4	46.3	52.9	51.0	51.8	70.5	63.2	62.3	44.7	$14,411	$1,348	$13,063
George Washington Carver Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	46155 Carver School Blvd	Great Mills	20634	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 863-4076	518	40	12.9	80.9%	80 (15.4%)	252 (48.6%)	128 (24.7%)	4 (0.8%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	49 (9.5%)	17.2	688^th of 859 public elementary schools	19.9%		13.4	757^th of 855 public elementary schools	11.5%	69	26.9	6.2		12.4	31.3	28.1	16.2	25.1	7.0	$20,103	$3,898	$16,205
St Leonard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5370 St Leonard Rd	Saint Leonard	20685	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(443) 550-9760	471	35	13.4	46.5%	279 (59.2%)	79 (16.8%)	55 (11.7%)	9 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	48 (10.2%)	63.1	288^th of 859 public elementary schools	66.5%		58	313^th of 855 public elementary schools	63.4%	25	66.0	51.7	30.4	46.9	66.7	70.0	40.5	57.0	16.7	$20,301	$2,843	$17,459

Frequently Asked Questions about Dowell Elementary

What schools do graduates of Dowell Elementary attend?

Students who attend Dowell Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Mill Creek Middle
High : Patuxent High

Is Dowell Elementary a good school?

Dowell Elementary ranks 355^th of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Dowell Elementary?

Students at Dowell Elementary are 68% White, 12% Two or more races, 9% African American, 6% Hispanic, 3% Asian.

How many students attend Dowell Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 585 students attended Dowell Elementary.

What district is Dowell Elementary in?

Calvert County Public Schools

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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.