Friendship Valley Elementary

Q: Is Friendship Valley Elementary a good school?

Friendship Valley Elementary ranks 199 th of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Friendship Valley Elementary is a public elementary school located in Westminster, Maryland, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 524 students. The school is part of the Carroll County Public Schools district, which is ranked 1 out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Friendship Valley Elementary consistently ranks in the top 20-30% of Maryland elementary schools, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's proficiency rates in MCAP Mathematics and English Language Arts are significantly higher than the state averages, often exceeding the district averages as well. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Friendship Valley's overall Mathematics proficiency rate was 49.6%, compared to the state average of 24.1% and the district average of 37.7%. In English Language Arts, the school's overall proficiency rate was 58.9%, compared to the state average of 48.4% and the district average of 64.8%. Compared to nearby schools like William Winchester Elementary and Robert Moton Elementary, Friendship Valley generally performs better on MCAP assessments, particularly in Mathematics and English Language Arts.

While Friendship Valley Elementary has a predominantly white student population, with 80.53% of students identifying as white in the 2022-2023 school year, the school has a lower percentage of African American (4.58%) and Hispanic (8.59%) students compared to some of the nearby schools. Additionally, Friendship Valley Elementary has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (25.19% in 2022-2023) compared to schools like Robert Moton Elementary, which has a 57.46% free and reduced lunch rate. Friendship Valley's spending per student has increased over the past few years, from $13,024 in 2018-2019 to $15,993 in 2020-2021, which is higher than some of the nearby schools, such as Linton Springs Elementary, which spent $12,189 per student in 2020-2021.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1100 Gist Road
Westminster, MD 21157-5754

(410) 751-3650

District: Carroll County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
199^th of 859 Maryland Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,277

Students who attend Friendship Valley Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Westminster West Middle
High:	Westminster High

Student/teacher ratio: 12.8

Number of students: 499

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.4%

Hispanic:

9.2%

African American:

4.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 27.9%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Friendship Valley Elementary ranks better than 76.8% of elementary schools in Maryland. It also ranks 11^th among 21 ranked elementary schools in the Carroll County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 74.9. (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 (79.4%), Hispanic (9.2%), African American (4.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 27.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Friendship Valley Elementary is 12.8, which is the 7^th best among 21 elementary schools in the Carroll County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Friendship Valley Elementary employs 38.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Friendship Valley Elementary is $15,277. 12 elementary schools in the Carroll County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Carroll County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Carroll County Public Schools 1^st of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Friendship Valley Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Friendship Valley Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	37.86	559^th	803	30.4%
2005	39.23	544^th	805	32.4%
2006	45.95	473^rd	804	41.2%
2007	53.48	435^th	818	46.8%
2008	77.90	169^th	838	79.8%
2009	71.08	265^th	850	68.8%
2010	77.35	161^st	855	81.2%
2011	66.46	302^nd	853	64.6%
2012	66.89	302^nd	857	64.8%
2013	74.03	205^th	847	75.8%
2014	77.96	176^th	867	79.7%
2015	79.46	172^nd	859	80.0%
2016	78.50	185^th	845	78.1%
2017	76.57	203^rd	847	76.0%
2018	73.63	221^st	857	74.2%
2019	67.93	264^th	853	69.1%
2021	73.66	159^th	802	80.2%
2022	83.56	137^th	862	84.1%
2023	84.53	120^th	855	86.0%
2024	74.90	199^th	859	76.8%

See the entire list of Maryland Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Friendship Valley Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	45.33	62^nd	136	54.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Friendship Valley Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	69.77	155^th	796	80.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Friendship Valley Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	73.00	153^rd	788	80.6%

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

Rank History for White students at Friendship Valley Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	56.55	196^th	528	62.9%

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

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Enrollment information for Friendship Valley Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1993	576	10	10	2	2	n/a	n/a	600
1994	658	21	8	2	1	n/a	n/a	690
1995	681	11	10	0	1	n/a	n/a	703
1996	681	11	10	0	1	n/a	n/a	703
1997	703	14	10	2	1	n/a	n/a	730
1998	732	14	10	0	0	n/a	n/a	756
1999	612	11	10	4	0	n/a	n/a	637
2000	510	14	8	2	1	n/a	n/a	535
2001	487	11	11	5	0	n/a	n/a	514
2002	493	22	14	4	3	n/a	n/a	536
2003	493	22	14	4	3	n/a	n/a	536
2004	482	17	14	4	2	n/a	n/a	519
2005	463	28	18	8	2	n/a	n/a	519
2006	420	23	17	7	4	n/a	n/a	471
2007	383	25	15	13	3	n/a	n/a	439
2008	381	34	14	8	3	n/a	n/a	440
2009	393	38	18	7	3	n/a	n/a	459
2010	411	39	20	6	3	n/a	n/a	479
2011	403	28	19	8	0	0	17	475
2012	413	22	17	13	1	0	17	483
2013	424	19	15	20	1	0	14	493
2014	443	15	10	22	0	0	22	512
2015	411	17	13	28	0	0	20	489
2016	406	14	10	37	0	0	17	484
2017	385	18	11	42	0	0	9	465
2018	404	26	7	41	0	0	19	497
2019	400	23	9	40	0	0	21	493
2020	381	22	9	53	0	1	22	488
2021	333	16	8	39	0	1	17	414
2022	380	22	7	39	0	1	23	472
2023	422	24	11	45	0	1	21	524
2024	396	24	13	46	1	2	17	499

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 Friendship Valley Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1993	600	27.3	22.0	7.8
1994	690	29.5	23.4	6.7
1995	703	32.2	21.8	5.3
1996	703	32.2	21.8	5.3
1997	730	33.6	21.7	7.7
1998	756	35.4	21.4	7.4
1999	637	35.5	17.9	12.6
2000	535	27.4	19.5	8.4
2001	514	27.0	19.0	10.9
2002	536	27.7	19.4	8.2
2003	536	27.7	19.4	8.2
2004	519	30.3	17.1	9.2
2005	519	29.0	17.9	7.9
2006	471	29.0	16.2	11
2007	439	29.6	14.8	10.5
2008	440	30.9	14.2	14.5
2009	459	30.1	15.2	15.5
2010	479	29.8	16.0	18.8
2011	475	30.8	15.4	18.1
2012	483	31.6	15.2	21.3
2013	493	33.2	14.8	23.3
2014	512	34.3	14.9	23.4
2015	489	33.0	14.8	20
2016	484	33.0	14.6	21.7
2017	465	32.6	14.2	18.7
2018	497	34.3	14.4	18.1
2019	493	34.1	14.4	18.9
2020	488	33.9	14.3	19.1
2021	414	32.3	12.8	22.2
2022	472	32.8	14.3	20.3
2023	524	35.7	14.6	25.2
2024	499	38.7	12.8	27.9

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 Friendship Valley Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1993	600	27.3	22.0	7.8
1994	690	29.5	23.4	6.7
1995	703	32.2	21.8	5.3
1996	703	32.2	21.8	5.3
1997	730	33.6	21.7	7.7
1998	756	35.4	21.4	7.4
1999	637	35.5	17.9	12.6
2000	535	27.4	19.5	8.4
2001	514	27.0	19.0	10.9
2002	536	27.7	19.4	8.2
2003	536	27.7	19.4	8.2
2004	519	30.3	17.1	9.2
2005	519	29.0	17.9	7.9
2006	471	29.0	16.2	11
2007	439	29.6	14.8	10.5
2008	440	30.9	14.2	14.5
2009	459	30.1	15.2	15.5
2010	479	29.8	16.0	18.8
2011	475	30.8	15.4	18.1
2012	483	31.6	15.2	21.3
2013	493	33.2	14.8	23.3
2014	512	34.3	14.9	23.4
2015	489	33.0	14.8	20
2016	484	33.0	14.6	21.7
2017	465	32.6	14.2	18.7
2018	497	34.3	14.4	18.1
2019	493	34.1	14.4	18.9
2020	488	33.9	14.3	19.1
2021	414	32.3	12.8	22.2
2022	472	32.8	14.3	20.3
2023	524	35.7	14.6	25.2
2024	499	38.7	12.8	27.9

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 Friendship Valley Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$449 (3.4%)	$12,575 (96.6%)	$13,024
2020	$537 (3.9%)	$13,176 (96.1%)	$13,712
2021	$1,175 (7.3%)	$14,818 (92.7%)	$15,993
2022	$829 (5.7%)	$13,627 (94.3%)	$14,456
2023	$653 (4.3%)	$14,623 (95.7%)	$15,277

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Friendship Valley 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 264^th of 853 Elementary schools	Ranks 120^th of 855 Elementary schools	16.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	493	524	6.3%
African American	23	24	4.3%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	9	11	22.2%
Hispanic	40	45	12.5%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	400	422	5.5%
Two or More Races	21	21
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	18.9%	25.2%	6.3%

Schools Near Friendship Valley 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
Friendship Valley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1100 Gist Road	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3650	499	39	12.8	27.9%	396 (79.4%)	24 (4.8%)	46 (9.2%)	13 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	17 (3.4%)	74.9	199^th of 859 public elementary schools	76.8%		84.5	120^th of 855 public elementary schools	86.0%	79	59.5	54.2	35.3	49.6	61.9	55.6	59.0	58.9	35.7	$15,277	$653	$14,623
PRIDE School	Public	K-4	1100 Gist Road	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3653	9	1	9.0	55.6%	5 (55.6%)	1 (11.1%)	1 (11.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (22.2%)								(n/a)										$5,144	$665	$4,479
Robert Moton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1413 Washington Road	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 751-3610	441	50	8.8	57.1%	258 (58.5%)	46 (10.4%)	94 (21.3%)	15 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.3%)	44.1	428^th of 859 public elementary schools	50.2%		51.2	362^nd of 855 public elementary schools	57.7%	66	46.4	36.3	17.5	34.0	39.1	48.1	35.5	41.4	17.7	$27,523	$2,792	$24,731
Cranberry Station Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	505 North Center Street	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 386-4440	601	43	13.8	42.6%	412 (68.6%)	53 (8.8%)	76 (12.6%)	24 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (6.0%)	63.3	286^th of 859 public elementary schools	66.7%		69.6	235^th of 855 public elementary schools	72.5%	51	51.5	37.8	40.7	43.6	45.9	58.0	51.9	51.6	26.9	$14,690	$766	$13,924
William Winchester Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	70 Monroe Street	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3230	605	42	14.4	38.5%	406 (67.1%)	73 (12.1%)	100 (16.5%)	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.3%)	78.3	180^th of 859 public elementary schools	79.0%		81.8	150^th of 855 public elementary schools	82.5%	30	60.9	60.6	38.5	53.2	47.8	77.4	58.9	61.5	38.3	$15,153	$795	$14,359
Westminster Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	811 Uniontown Road	Westminster	21158	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3222	555	43	12.9	39.1%	370 (66.7%)	37 (6.7%)	71 (12.8%)	25 (4.5%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	48 (8.6%)	61.2	300^th of 859 public elementary schools	65.1%		66	267^th of 855 public elementary schools	68.8%	33	64.8	34.3	30.5	44.4	59.6	51.0	42.2	51.6	24.7	$15,878	$777	$15,100
Sandymount Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2222 Old Westminster Pike	Finksburg	21048	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3215	579	39	14.7	26.1%	450 (77.7%)	36 (6.2%)	53 (9.2%)	21 (3.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.9%)	79.3	171^st of 859 public elementary schools	80.1%		86.3	109^th of 855 public elementary schools	87.3%	62	69.8	57.6	40.0	57.5	61.3	64.6	50.7	59.6	36.0	$14,105	$695	$13,411
Mechanicsville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3838 Sykesville Road	Sykesville	21784	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3510	497	33	14.9	16.9%	437 (87.9%)	16 (3.2%)	11 (2.2%)	12 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (4.0%)	83.7	135^th of 859 public elementary schools	84.3%		83.8	128^th of 855 public elementary schools	85.0%	7	66.7	52.6	47.4	55.6	64.1	65.4	73.4	67.7	36.7	$14,904	$655	$14,250
Winfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4401 Salem Bottom Road	Westminster	21157	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3242	697	55	12.6	20.9%	644 (92.4%)	15 (2.2%)	7 (1.0%)	20 (2.9%)	3 (0.4%)	2 (0.3%)	6 (0.9%)	81.6	152^nd of 859 public elementary schools	82.3%		82.6	140^th of 855 public elementary schools	83.6%	12	63.8	59.5	53.4	59.2	55.8	61.3	68.5	61.5	34.8	$16,974	$878	$16,096
Runnymede Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3000 Langdon Drive	Westminster	21158	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3203	609	45	13.4	36.1%	484 (79.5%)	34 (5.6%)	41 (6.7%)	8 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	39 (6.4%)	67.5	256^th of 859 public elementary schools	70.2%		65.3	270^th of 855 public elementary schools	68.4%	14	73.0	45.6	33.0	50.0	66.3	57.3	40.4	54.5	27.1	$16,624	$827	$15,797

Frequently Asked Questions about Friendship Valley Elementary

What district is Friendship Valley Elementary in?

Carroll County Public Schools

How many students attend Friendship Valley Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 499 students attended Friendship Valley Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Friendship Valley Elementary?

Students at Friendship Valley Elementary are 79% White, 9% Hispanic, 5% African American, 3% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Is Friendship Valley Elementary a good school?

Friendship Valley Elementary ranks 199^th of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Friendship Valley Elementary attend?

Students who attend Friendship Valley Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Westminster West Middle
High : Westminster High

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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.