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Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

Summary:

Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School is a public elementary school located in La Plata, Maryland, serving 637 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Charles County Public Schools district, which is ranked 20 out of 25 in Maryland and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School stands out for its consistently strong academic performance, outperforming the Charles County Public Schools district and the state of Maryland in both Mathematics and English Language Arts proficiency across all grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's overall Mathematics proficiency was 36.9%, compared to 15% for the district and 24.1% for the state. Additionally, the school has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools, with a higher percentage of White (56.67%) and Hispanic (12.09%) students. While the school's overall performance is strong, there are some disparities in the performance of different student subgroups, with the school's White students and multi-racial students ranked lower compared to their peers in the state, while the school's African American students and low socioeconomic status students perform better than their counterparts in the district.

The higher per-student spending at Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School, at $15,001 per student in the 2020-2021 school year, may be a contributing factor to its strong academic performance. This suggests that adequate funding and resources can play a significant role in supporting student learning and achievement. Overall, Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School stands out as a strong-performing school within the Charles County Public Schools district, with a diverse student population and consistently high academic achievement across multiple subject areas and grade levels.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 400 Willow Ln
       La Plata, MD  20646-3916

(301) 934-4687

District: Charles County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
365th of 859 Maryland Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $16,071 Help


Students who attend Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Piccowaxen Middle School
High:    La Plata High School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.4 Help
Number of students:  605

Racial breakdown:

White:
55.7%
African American:
21.3%
Two or more races:
11.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  34.9% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School ranks better than 57.5% of elementary schools in Maryland. It also ranks 3rd among 22 ranked elementary schools in the Charles County Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 51.23. (See more...)
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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 Racial makeup is: White (55.7%), African American (21.3%), two or more races (11.1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 34.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School is 16.4. 16 elementary schools in the Charles County Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
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Compare Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School employs 36.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School is $16,071. 17 elementary schools in the Charles County Public Schools District spend more per student.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Charles County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Charles County Public Schools 20th of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School?

Rank History for Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 62.54 354th 803 55.9%
2005 50.20 446th 805 44.6%
2006 40.19 530th 804 34.1%
2007 36.86 563rd 818 31.2%
2008 63.60 339th 838 59.5%
2009 57.07 421st 850 50.5%
2010 61.14 380th 855 55.6%
2011 68.87 257th 853 69.9%
2012 65.82 315th 857 63.2%
2013 51.09 451st 847 46.8%
2014 63.55 361st 867 58.4%
2015 63.50 289th 859 66.4%
2016 67.99 264th 845 68.8%
2017 72.22 239th 847 71.8%
2018 67.36 274th 857 68.0%
2019 68.05 261st 853 69.4%
2021 52.38 270th 802 66.3%
2022 59.43 328th 862 61.9%
2023 51.96 358th 855 58.1%
2024 51.23 365th 859 57.5%
See the entire list of Maryland Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 27.42 36th 52 30.8%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 32.25 393rd 546 28.0%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 49.35 286th 796 64.1%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 51.97 266th 788 66.2%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 45.74 216th 504 57.1%
See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools MD State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 36.89 299th 528 43.4%
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.

Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School Test Scores
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Data source: Maryland State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)
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100%

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Reviews:
by a parent
Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Open Quote The staff is very responsive to students and parents. My kids are happy here. It is great to see staff taking initiative to help kids get ahead! They seem to do a great deal to help families in need. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 612 157 9 0 1 n/a n/a 0 779
1990 612 157 11 0 1 n/a n/a 0 781
1991 622 165 9 1 3 n/a n/a 0 800
1992 616 185 11 1 7 n/a n/a 0 820
1993 505 146 12 2 10 n/a n/a 0 675
1994 512 131 10 4 12 n/a n/a 0 669
1995 507 120 9 3 6 n/a n/a 0 645
1996 507 120 9 3 6 n/a n/a 0 645
1997 479 124 10 6 6 n/a n/a 0 625
1998 479 140 6 9 4 n/a n/a 0 638
1999 487 136 6 7 1 n/a n/a 0 637
2000 510 122 3 4 2 n/a n/a 0 641
2001 526 123 6 8 2 n/a n/a 0 665
2002 539 125 12 14 2 n/a n/a 0 692
2003 539 125 12 14 2 n/a n/a 0 692
2004 535 105 12 12 2 n/a n/a 0 666
2005 471 96 19 11 3 n/a n/a 0 600
2006 480 104 20 8 1 n/a n/a 0 613
2007 459 115 23 10 4 n/a n/a 0 611
2008 445 102 25 13 4 n/a n/a 0 589
2009 455 94 21 18 1 n/a n/a 0 589
2010 474 109 18 19 2 n/a n/a 0 622
2011 466 95 11 19 2 1 36 0 630
2012 485 93 10 23 2 1 37 0 651
2013 491 91 12 31 0 1 48 0 674
2014 481 89 21 38 0 2 42 0 673
2015 469 117 16 41 1 1 39 0 684
2016 458 112 16 45 1 1 41 0 674
2017 463 111 21 44 1 1 52 0 693
2018 448 100 18 61 2 2 67 0 698
2019 445 108 15 69 1 2 62 0 702
2020 387 103 14 63 3 1 55 0 626
2021 377 105 13 55 3 1 59 0 613
2022 366 116 14 56 1 1 52 0 606
2023 361 122 13 77 1 1 62 0 637
2024 337 129 8 61 2 1 67 0 605

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 Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 779 40.8 19.0 n/a
1990 781 41.3 18.9 13.6
1991 800 39.4 20.3 15.3
1992 820 39.4 20.8 20.5
1993 675 29.0 23.3 24.9
1994 669 33.5 20.0 20.8
1995 645 30.0 21.5 18.1
1996 645 30.0 21.5 18.1
1997 625 29.1 21.5 20.8
1998 638 33.2 19.2 20.4
1999 637 33.3 19.1 21
2000 641 32.3 19.8 16.1
2001 665 35.3 18.8 15.9
2002 692 35.8 19.3 19.5
2003 692 35.8 19.3 19.5
2004 666 33.4 19.9 17.6
2005 600 34.0 17.6 16
2006 613 34.0 18.0 18.9
2007 611 32.3 18.9 13.7
2008 589 34.3 17.2 15.8
2009 589 33.0 17.8 17.8
2010 622 35.4 17.5 20.6
2011 630 33.0 19.0 20.6
2012 651 34.0 19.1 20.6
2013 674 34.0 19.8 21.7
2014 673 33.0 20.3 24.2
2015 684 36.0 19.0 26.6
2016 674 37.0 18.2 28.3
2017 693 37.9 18.2 29
2018 698 38.0 18.3 24.5
2019 702 39.2 17.8 26.6
2020 626 36.6 17.0 29.6
2021 613 36.0 17.0 26.9
2022 606 37.1 16.3 24.8
2023 637 39.0 16.3 31.7
2024 605 36.7 16.4 34.9

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 Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 779 40.8 19.0 n/a
1990 781 41.3 18.9 13.6
1991 800 39.4 20.3 15.3
1992 820 39.4 20.8 20.5
1993 675 29.0 23.3 24.9
1994 669 33.5 20.0 20.8
1995 645 30.0 21.5 18.1
1996 645 30.0 21.5 18.1
1997 625 29.1 21.5 20.8
1998 638 33.2 19.2 20.4
1999 637 33.3 19.1 21
2000 641 32.3 19.8 16.1
2001 665 35.3 18.8 15.9
2002 692 35.8 19.3 19.5
2003 692 35.8 19.3 19.5
2004 666 33.4 19.9 17.6
2005 600 34.0 17.6 16
2006 613 34.0 18.0 18.9
2007 611 32.3 18.9 13.7
2008 589 34.3 17.2 15.8
2009 589 33.0 17.8 17.8
2010 622 35.4 17.5 20.6
2011 630 33.0 19.0 20.6
2012 651 34.0 19.1 20.6
2013 674 34.0 19.8 21.7
2014 673 33.0 20.3 24.2
2015 684 36.0 19.0 26.6
2016 674 37.0 18.2 28.3
2017 693 37.9 18.2 29
2018 698 38.0 18.3 24.5
2019 702 39.2 17.8 26.6
2020 626 36.6 17.0 29.6
2021 613 36.0 17.0 26.9
2022 606 37.1 16.3 24.8
2023 637 39.0 16.3 31.7
2024 605 36.7 16.4 34.9

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 Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $743 (5.6%) $12,544 (94.4%) $13,288
2020 $832 (5.8%) $13,469 (94.2%) $14,301
2021 $585 (3.9%) $14,415 (96.1%) $15,001
2022 $1,079 (7.5%) $13,385 (92.5%) $14,464
2023 $860 (5.4%) $15,211 (94.6%) $16,071

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

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 261st of 853 Elementary schoolsRanks 358th of 855 Elementary schools
 11.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students702637
 9.3%
African American108122
 13%
American Indian11
Asian1513
 13.3%
Hispanic6977
 11.6%
Pacific Islander21
 50%
White445361
 18.9%
Two or More Races6262
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients26.6%31.7%
 5.1%

Schools Near Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School








Frequently Asked Questions about Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

In the 2023-24 school year, 605 students attended Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School.

Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School ranks 365th of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Piccowaxen Middle School
High : La Plata High School

Students at Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School are 56% White, 21% African American, 11% Two or more races, 10% Hispanic, 1% Asian.


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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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