Is Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School a good school?

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

How many students attend Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School?

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

What is the racial makeup of Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School?

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

What schools do graduates of Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Piccowaxen Middle School High : La Plata High School

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:
365^th of 859 Maryland Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,071

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

Middle:	Piccowaxen Middle School
High:	La Plata High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.4

Number of students: 605

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.7%

African American:

21.3%

Two or more races:

11.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 34.9%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School ranks better than 57.5% of elementary schools in Maryland. It also ranks 3^rd among 22 ranked elementary schools in the Charles County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 51.23. (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 (55.7%), African American (21.3%), two or more races (11.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 34.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

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...)

Compare Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School employs 36.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

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 20^th of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

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

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	62.54	354^th	803	55.9%
2005	50.20	446^th	805	44.6%
2006	40.19	530^th	804	34.1%
2007	36.86	563^rd	818	31.2%
2008	63.60	339^th	838	59.5%
2009	57.07	421^st	850	50.5%
2010	61.14	380^th	855	55.6%
2011	68.87	257^th	853	69.9%
2012	65.82	315^th	857	63.2%
2013	51.09	451^st	847	46.8%
2014	63.55	361^st	867	58.4%
2015	63.50	289^th	859	66.4%
2016	67.99	264^th	845	68.8%
2017	72.22	239^th	847	71.8%
2018	67.36	274^th	857	68.0%
2019	68.05	261^st	853	69.4%
2021	52.38	270^th	802	66.3%
2022	59.43	328^th	862	61.9%
2023	51.96	358^th	855	58.1%
2024	51.23	365^th	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	36^th	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	393^rd	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	286^th	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	266^th	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	216^th	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	299^th	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.

Data source: Maryland State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, August 15, 2017

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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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	612	157	9	0	1	n/a	n/a	779
1990	612	157	11	0	1	n/a	n/a	781
1991	622	165	9	1	3	n/a	n/a	800
1992	616	185	11	1	7	n/a	n/a	820
1993	505	146	12	2	10	n/a	n/a	675
1994	512	131	10	4	12	n/a	n/a	669
1995	507	120	9	3	6	n/a	n/a	645
1996	507	120	9	3	6	n/a	n/a	645
1997	479	124	10	6	6	n/a	n/a	625
1998	479	140	6	9	4	n/a	n/a	638
1999	487	136	6	7	1	n/a	n/a	637
2000	510	122	3	4	2	n/a	n/a	641
2001	526	123	6	8	2	n/a	n/a	665
2002	539	125	12	14	2	n/a	n/a	692
2003	539	125	12	14	2	n/a	n/a	692
2004	535	105	12	12	2	n/a	n/a	666
2005	471	96	19	11	3	n/a	n/a	600
2006	480	104	20	8	1	n/a	n/a	613
2007	459	115	23	10	4	n/a	n/a	611
2008	445	102	25	13	4	n/a	n/a	589
2009	455	94	21	18	1	n/a	n/a	589
2010	474	109	18	19	2	n/a	n/a	622
2011	466	95	11	19	2	1	36	630
2012	485	93	10	23	2	1	37	651
2013	491	91	12	31	0	1	48	674
2014	481	89	21	38	0	2	42	673
2015	469	117	16	41	1	1	39	684
2016	458	112	16	45	1	1	41	674
2017	463	111	21	44	1	1	52	693
2018	448	100	18	61	2	2	67	698
2019	445	108	15	69	1	2	62	702
2020	387	103	14	63	3	1	55	626
2021	377	105	13	55	3	1	59	613
2022	366	116	14	56	1	1	52	606
2023	361	122	13	77	1	1	62	637
2024	337	129	8	61	2	1	67	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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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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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

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total 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 261^st of 853 Elementary schools	Ranks 358^th of 855 Elementary schools	11.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	702	637	9.3%
African American	108	122	13%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	15	13	13.3%
Hispanic	69	77	11.6%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	445	361	18.9%
Two or More Races	62	62
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	26.6%	31.7%	5.1%

Schools Near Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

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
Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	400 Willow Ln	La Plata	20646	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 934-4687	605	37	16.4	34.9%	337 (55.7%)	129 (21.3%)	61 (10.1%)	8 (1.3%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	67 (11.1%)	51.2	365^th of 859 public elementary schools	57.5%		52	358^th of 855 public elementary schools	58.1%	7	40.2	41.0	28.9	36.9	40.2	50.0	46.2	45.6	21.7	$16,071	$860	$15,211
Mary H. Matula Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6025 Radio Station Rd	La Plata	20646	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 934-5412	578	41	14.0	39.6%	190 (32.9%)	239 (41.3%)	54 (9.3%)	28 (4.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (11.4%)	63.4	284^th of 859 public elementary schools	66.9%		65	272^nd of 855 public elementary schools	68.2%	12	32.3	28.4	38.9	33.5	53.1	61.7	57.9	57.4	38.9	$19,293	$612	$18,681
F. B. Gwynn Educational Center	Public	PK	5998 Radio Station Rd	La Plata	20646	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 934-3884	4	32	.1		0 (0.0%)	3 (75.0%)	1 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$51,676	$3,689	$47,987
Dr. James Craik Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7725 Marshall Corner Rd	Pomfret	20675	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 934-4270	488	35	14.1	38.5%	173 (35.5%)	186 (38.1%)	66 (13.5%)	9 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (11.1%)	66.5	266^th of 859 public elementary schools	69.0%		67.5	256^th of 855 public elementary schools	70.1%	10	39.6	57.4	34.9	43.0	44.4	75.0	57.8	57.7	30.1	$17,586	$896	$16,690
Mary B. Neal Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12105 St. George's Dr	Waldorf	20602	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 638-2617	589	48	12.2	46.0%	25 (4.2%)	442 (75.0%)	51 (8.7%)	28 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	41 (7.0%)	37	472^nd of 859 public elementary schools	45.1%		44.6	415^th of 855 public elementary schools	51.5%	57	42.4	23.5	15.4	27.0	50.0	38.1	29.7	39.3	17.6	$18,423	$567	$17,856
Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	421 University Dr	Waldorf	20602	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 645-1330	416	33	12.6	73.1%	16 (3.8%)	259 (62.3%)	104 (25.0%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.7%)	24	595^th of 859 public elementary schools	30.7%		25.8	579^th of 855 public elementary schools	32.3%	16	42.6	16.9	6.2	22.4	31.8	27.6	23.4	27.7	9.4	$20,048	$1,449	$18,599
Billingsley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10069 Billingsley Road	White Plains	20695	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 753-2088	698	42	16.7	44.7%	51 (7.3%)	474 (67.9%)	92 (13.2%)	27 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (7.7%)	25.7	578^th of 859 public elementary schools	32.7%		23.1	617^th of 855 public elementary schools	27.8%	39	32.3	21.0	5.3	18.9	31.3	50.0	22.8	34.4	7.0	$16,693	$843	$15,850
Arthur Middleton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1109 Copley Ave	Waldorf	20602	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 645-3338	696	40	17.2	46.0%	37 (5.3%)	409 (58.8%)	169 (24.3%)	19 (2.7%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	59 (8.5%)	15	726^th of 859 public elementary schools	15.5%		25.4	586^th of 855 public elementary schools	31.5%	140	17.3	14.9	8.5	13.5	20.9	28.3	20.7	23.3	7.9	$16,516	$1,256	$15,260
Eva Turner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 Bannister Cir	Waldorf	20602	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 645-4828	465	32	14.3	68.0%	26 (5.6%)	337 (72.5%)	75 (16.1%)	4 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.5%)	11	807^th of 859 public elementary schools	6.1%		15.6	726^th of 855 public elementary schools	15.1%	81		17.1		8.3	11.1	21.7	9.5	14.2	6.5	$20,143	$1,828	$18,314
William B. Wade Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2300 Smallwood Dr W	Waldorf	20603	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 932-4304	636	41	15.4	57.2%	44 (6.9%)	426 (67.0%)	84 (13.2%)	24 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (9.1%)	35.4	488^th of 859 public elementary schools	43.2%		30.1	543^rd of 855 public elementary schools	36.5%	55	29.8	19.1	16.7	21.7	45.2	38.8	42.1	41.9	19.4	$15,131	$569	$14,562

Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

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Rank History for Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Review counts

Enrollment information for Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School

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

Rankings

Student Body

Schools Near Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School