Piney Ridge Elementary

Summary:

Piney Ridge Elementary is a public elementary school in Sykesville, Maryland, serving 578 students in grades PK-5. As part of the highly-ranked Carroll County Public Schools district, Piney Ridge consistently performs among the top elementary schools in the state, with exceptional academic outcomes and a diverse student population.

Piney Ridge Elementary's academic performance is truly standout, with proficiency rates in MCAP Mathematics and English Language Arts assessments that significantly exceed the county and state averages across all grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Piney Ridge had a 69.4% proficiency rate in MCAP Mathematics, compared to 37.7% for the Carroll County district and 24.1% for Maryland. The school's diverse student body, with a higher percentage of non-White students compared to nearby schools like Carrolltowne Elementary and Freedom District Elementary, further contributes to a rich and inclusive learning environment.

Piney Ridge Elementary's academic success is supported by its resource allocation, with a higher per-student spending ranging from $12,655 to $13,532 over the past three years, and a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 15.4 to 15.8 students per teacher. While other schools in the Carroll County Public Schools district also demonstrate strong performance, Piney Ridge stands out as a shining example of the district's commitment to providing an exceptional education to its diverse student population.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

6315 Freedom Avenue
Sykesville, MD 21784-8061

(410) 751-3535

District: Carroll County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
65^th of 859 Maryland Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,493

Students who attend Piney Ridge Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Sykesville Middle
High:	Century High

Student/teacher ratio: 15.8

Number of students: 578

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.8%

Asian:

9.9%

African American:

7.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 20.8%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Piney Ridge Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Piney Ridge Elementary ranks better than 92.4% of elementary schools in Maryland. It also ranks 2^nd among 21 ranked elementary schools in the Carroll County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 91.52. (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 (66.8%), Asian (9.9%), African American (7.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 20.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Piney Ridge Elementary is 15.8. 18 elementary schools in the Carroll County Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Piney Ridge Elementary employs 36.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Piney Ridge Elementary is $14,493. 16 elementary schools in the Carroll County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Piney Ridge 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.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Piney Ridge Elementary.

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Rank History for Piney Ridge Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Piney Ridge Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	18.80	681^st	803	15.2%
2005	14.55	717^th	805	10.9%
2006	21.69	670^th	804	16.7%
2007	7.82	757^th	818	7.5%
2008	88.16	16^th	838	98.1%
2009	86.45	38^th	850	95.5%
2010	88.56	11^th	855	98.7%
2011	87.23	21^st	853	97.5%
2012	85.89	26^th	857	97.0%
2013	83.75	67^th	847	92.1%
2014	85.55	66^th	867	92.4%
2015	93.89	45^th	859	94.8%
2016	90.49	79^th	845	90.7%
2017	91.41	73^rd	847	91.4%
2018	89.53	78^th	857	90.9%
2019	78.88	175^th	853	79.5%
2021	82.87	108^th	802	86.5%
2022	95.11	39^th	862	95.5%
2023	93.71	50^th	855	94.2%
2024	91.52	65^th	859	92.4%

See the entire list of Maryland Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Piney Ridge Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	83.22	98^th	796	87.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Piney Ridge Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	77.95	124^th	788	84.3%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Piney Ridge Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	72.23	35^th	128	72.7%

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

Rank History for White students at Piney Ridge Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	63.36	167^th	528	68.4%

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: 4.7)

67%

33%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, August 29, 2009

Piney Ridge is a very good school for our children's basic educational needs. The reliance Piney places on traditional teaching methods and materials assures success on state-mandated exams and is a strong focus throughout the year. At the same time, such a focus can be frustrating to students who are already academically strong and would benefit from a more differentiated approach. Parents must be prepared to supplement their children's educational needs with this in mind. On the positive side, Piney has a very strong PTA and volunteer corps. Discipline problems tend to be on the mild side, though bullying is a prominent issue that often goes unchecked, particularly in the intermediate grades. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Piney Ridge Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1992	525	26	5	2	0	n/a	n/a	558
1993	560	28	5	2	0	n/a	n/a	595
1994	587	24	6	3	0	n/a	n/a	620
1995	675	27	11	8	2	n/a	n/a	723
1996	675	27	11	8	2	n/a	n/a	723
1997	710	23	8	6	3	n/a	n/a	750
1998	723	24	13	8	1	n/a	n/a	769
1999	620	19	7	11	1	n/a	n/a	658
2000	642	25	12	11	1	n/a	n/a	691
2001	636	22	12	9	1	n/a	n/a	680
2002	638	7	5	10	1	n/a	n/a	661
2003	638	7	5	10	1	n/a	n/a	661
2004	639	7	6	13	1	n/a	n/a	666
2005	618	7	13	14	4	n/a	n/a	656
2006	603	11	18	17	1	n/a	n/a	650
2007	597	19	19	17	2	n/a	n/a	654
2008	572	16	18	10	3	n/a	n/a	619
2009	542	18	25	15	3	n/a	n/a	603
2010	536	16	27	13	2	n/a	n/a	594
2011	527	9	23	30	1	1	8	599
2012	519	14	25	31	1	1	8	599
2013	499	21	32	36	0	1	10	599
2014	507	21	28	45	0	1	8	610
2015	500	27	25	31	1	0	14	598
2016	482	29	21	33	1	0	21	587
2017	436	25	21	32	1	0	25	540
2018	425	23	20	31	1	0	30	530
2019	398	32	21	21	1	0	42	515
2020	389	31	38	24	1	1	51	535
2021	371	37	40	33	1	1	55	538
2022	385	41	34	36	1	2	47	546
2023	386	45	57	43	1	2	44	578

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 Piney Ridge Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1992	558	25.3	22.0	11.3
1993	595	32.4	18.4	10.6
1994	620	30.1	20.6	9.4
1995	723	32.8	22.0	6.4
1996	723	32.8	22.0	6.4
1997	750	35.1	21.4	7.5
1998	769	34.4	22.4	6.8
1999	658	34.4	19.1	6.4
2000	691	33.0	20.9	7.7
2001	680	34.5	19.7	6
2002	661	32.7	20.2	3.2
2003	661	32.7	20.2	3.2
2004	666	36.4	18.3	5
2005	656	35.0	18.7	5.6
2006	650	34.0	19.1	5.2
2007	654	39.2	16.7	5.7
2008	619	41.3	15.0	5.7
2009	603	39.1	15.4	8.6
2010	594	39.9	14.8	10.8
2011	599	40.0	14.9	10.7
2012	599	40.7	14.7	13.2
2013	599	40.2	14.9	13.5
2014	610	41.2	14.8	13.3
2015	598	41.0	14.5	14
2016	587	39.0	15.0	14.7
2017	540	37.3	14.4	15.4
2018	530	37.7	14.0	13.2
2019	515	34.9	14.7	15.5
2020	535	33.0	16.2	17.6
2021	538	34.0	15.8	20.4
2022	546	35.3	15.4	19.4
2023	578	36.5	15.8	20.8

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 Piney Ridge Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1992	558	25.3	22.0	11.3
1993	595	32.4	18.4	10.6
1994	620	30.1	20.6	9.4
1995	723	32.8	22.0	6.4
1996	723	32.8	22.0	6.4
1997	750	35.1	21.4	7.5
1998	769	34.4	22.4	6.8
1999	658	34.4	19.1	6.4
2000	691	33.0	20.9	7.7
2001	680	34.5	19.7	6
2002	661	32.7	20.2	3.2
2003	661	32.7	20.2	3.2
2004	666	36.4	18.3	5
2005	656	35.0	18.7	5.6
2006	650	34.0	19.1	5.2
2007	654	39.2	16.7	5.7
2008	619	41.3	15.0	5.7
2009	603	39.1	15.4	8.6
2010	594	39.9	14.8	10.8
2011	599	40.0	14.9	10.7
2012	599	40.7	14.7	13.2
2013	599	40.2	14.9	13.5
2014	610	41.2	14.8	13.3
2015	598	41.0	14.5	14
2016	587	39.0	15.0	14.7
2017	540	37.3	14.4	15.4
2018	530	37.7	14.0	13.2
2019	515	34.9	14.7	15.5
2020	535	33.0	16.2	17.6
2021	538	34.0	15.8	20.4
2022	546	35.3	15.4	19.4
2023	578	36.5	15.8	20.8

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 Piney Ridge Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$232 (1.8%)	$12,424 (98.2%)	$12,655
2020	$379 (3.0%)	$12,368 (97.0%)	$12,747
2021	$698 (5.2%)	$12,834 (94.8%)	$13,532
2022	$837 (6.3%)	$12,388 (93.7%)	$13,225
2023	$680 (4.7%)	$13,813 (95.3%)	$14,493

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Piney Ridge 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 175^th of 853 Elementary schools	Ranks 50^th of 855 Elementary schools	14.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	515	578	12.2%
African American	32	45	40.6%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	21	57	171.4%
Hispanic	21	43	104.8%
Pacific Islander	0	2
White	398	386	3%
Two or More Races	42	44	4.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	15.5%	20.8%	5.2%

Schools Near Piney Ridge 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
Piney Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6315 Freedom Avenue	Sykesville	21784	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3535	578	37	15.8	20.8%	386 (66.8%)	45 (7.8%)	43 (7.4%)	57 (9.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	44 (7.6%)	91.5	65^th of 859 public elementary schools	92.4%		93.7	50^th of 855 public elementary schools	94.2%	15	78.3	67.0	61.5	69.4	74.3	71.4	67.0	71.1	42.9	$14,493	$680	$13,813
Eldersburg Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1021 Johnsville Road	Sykesville	21784	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3520	474	32	14.6	17.3%	365 (77.0%)	18 (3.8%)	28 (5.9%)	34 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.1%)	85.3	117^th of 859 public elementary schools	86.4%		83.2	136^th of 855 public elementary schools	84.1%	19	70.7	60.2	59.4	63.4	60.0	70.8	61.4	64.5	35.7	$15,657	$684	$14,973
Carrolltowne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6542 Ridge Road	Sykesville	21784	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3530	629	44	14.4	10.2%	479 (76.2%)	18 (2.9%)	51 (8.1%)	43 (6.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (5.6%)	88.4	93^rd of 859 public elementary schools	89.2%		90.2	79^th of 855 public elementary schools	90.8%	14	72.9	60.7	64.5	65.7	63.5	71.2	68.8	68.0	38.5	$15,460	$821	$14,639
Freedom District Elementary	Public	K-5	5626 Sykesville Road	Sykesville	21784	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3525	617	41	15.2	8.9%	519 (84.1%)	16 (2.6%)	24 (3.9%)	28 (4.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (4.5%)	90.2	78^th of 859 public elementary schools	90.9%		94.7	40^th of 855 public elementary schools	95.3%	38	73.3	67.0	54.2	64.7	68.1	83.0	67.8	72.5	40.7	$13,502	$658	$12,844
Linton Springs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	375 Ronsdale Road	Sykesville	21784	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3280	748	44	17.1	13.2%	643 (86.0%)	12 (1.6%)	53 (7.1%)	18 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	18 (2.4%)	92.2	60^th of 859 public elementary schools	93.0%		92.8	61^st of 855 public elementary schools	92.9%	1	82.9	71.1	55.6	71.1	83.7	74.3	67.7	75.8	39.4	$12,964	$603	$12,361
Mechanicsville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3838 Sykesville Road	Sykesville	21784	Carroll County	Carroll County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 751-3510	500	32	15.6	17.4%	439 (87.8%)	12 (2.4%)	13 (2.6%)	12 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (4.6%)	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	678	52	13.0	19.8%	623 (91.9%)	18 (2.7%)	11 (1.6%)	19 (2.8%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.6%)	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
West Friendship Elementary	Public	K-5	12500 Frederick Road	West Friendship	21794	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5512	366	27	13.4	9.3%	220 (60.1%)	21 (5.7%)	21 (5.7%)	74 (20.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	29 (7.9%)	96.1	27^th of 859 public elementary schools	96.9%		95.6	31^st of 855 public elementary schools	96.4%	4	77.5	66.1	65.2	69.8	73.2	85.2	88.2	82.0	63.8	$18,823	$769	$18,054
Hernwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9919 Marriottsville Rd	Randallstown	21133	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-0732	327	24	13.5	55.0%	7 (2.1%)	279 (85.3%)	23 (7.0%)	4 (1.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.7%)	35.8	481^st of 859 public elementary schools	44.0%		19.7	662^nd of 855 public elementary schools	22.6%	181	31.8	15.9	18.4	21.9	50.0	37.8	41.7	43.1	16.7	$22,351	$3,184	$19,167
Lisbon Elementary	Public	K-5	15901 Frederick Rd	Woodbine	21797	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5506	453	31	14.8	15.0%	344 (75.9%)	8 (1.8%)	46 (10.2%)	28 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.0%)	85	120^th of 859 public elementary schools	86.0%		89.8	83^rd of 855 public elementary schools	90.3%	37	54.3	58.0	47.5	53.4	64.3	82.8	64.2	71.0	40.7	$18,305	$934	$17,371

Frequently Asked Questions about Piney Ridge Elementary

What district is Piney Ridge Elementary in?

Carroll County Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Piney Ridge Elementary attend?

Students who attend Piney Ridge Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Sykesville Middle
High : Century High

Is Piney Ridge Elementary a good school?

Yes. Piney Ridge Elementary ranks in the top 7.6% of Maryland elementary schools.

How many students attend Piney Ridge Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 578 students attended Piney Ridge Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Piney Ridge Elementary?

Students at Piney Ridge Elementary are 67% White, 10% Asian, 8% African American, 8% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic.

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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.