Is Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School a good school?

Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School ranks 373 rd of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 408 students attended Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School?

Students at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School are 71% White, 15% African American, 8% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Piccowaxen Middle School High : La Plata High School

Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Summary:

Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School is a public elementary school in Newburg, Maryland, serving 411 students in grades PK-5 and part of the Charles County Public Schools district.

This school stands out for its strong academic performance, particularly in English Language Arts, where it consistently outperforms the district and state averages. In 2023-2024, 47% of students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 39.2% for the district and 48.4% for the state. The school also has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (41.12% in 2022-2023) and higher per-student spending of $17,825 in 2020-2021. However, the school's statewide ranking has declined over the years, from 174 out of 857 Maryland elementary schools in 2017-2018 to 373 out of 859 in 2023-2024, suggesting it may be struggling to keep pace with improvements in other schools.

When compared to nearby schools, Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary generally performs better academically, particularly in English Language Arts. However, some schools in the neighboring St. Mary's County Public Schools district, such as White Marsh Elementary and Dynard Elementary, outperform Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary in both mathematics and ELA. Additionally, the school's student-teacher ratio has increased from 12.9 in 2020-2021 to 14.3 in 2022-2023, which may impact the quality of instruction and personalized attention students receive.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

12872 Rock Point Rd
Newburg, MD 20664-2514

(301) 934-4091

District: Charles County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
373^rd of 859 Maryland Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,033

Students who attend Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Piccowaxen Middle School
High:	La Plata High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.1

Number of students: 408

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.8%

African American:

15.2%

Two or more races:

7.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 40.9%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School ranks better than 56.6% of elementary schools in Maryland. It also ranks 4^th among 22 ranked elementary schools in the Charles County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 50.2. (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 (70.8%), African American (15.2%), two or more races (7.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 40.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School is 14.1, which is the 9^th best among 22 elementary schools in the Charles County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School employs 28.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School is $19,033, which is the 8^th highest among 22 elementary schools in the Charles County Public Schools District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Dr. Thomas L. Higdon 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.)

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Rank History for Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	50.14	462^nd	803	42.5%
2005	55.72	394^th	805	51.1%
2006	64.24	313^th	804	61.1%
2007	53.57	434^th	818	46.9%
2008	45.39	534^th	838	36.3%
2009	60.82	378^th	850	55.5%
2010	61.36	379^th	855	55.7%
2011	60.87	370^th	853	56.6%
2012	50.48	489^th	857	42.9%
2013	66.24	289^th	847	65.9%
2014	68.62	303^rd	867	65.1%
2015	71.94	235^th	859	72.6%
2016	76.54	200^th	845	76.3%
2017	75.41	213^th	847	74.9%
2018	79.58	174^th	857	79.7%
2019	76.86	205^th	853	76.0%
2021	33.88	430^th	802	46.4%
2022	52.31	380^th	862	55.9%
2023	48.61	374^th	855	56.3%
2024	50.20	373^rd	859	56.6%

See the entire list of Maryland Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	68.38	67^th	546	87.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	41.53	368^th	796	53.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	32.92	445^th	788	43.5%

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

Rank History for African American students at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	51.19	165^th	504	67.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	25.24	385^th	528	27.1%

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 Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	313	150	2	1	6	n/a	n/a	40	512
1990	346	142	5	1	4	n/a	n/a	35	533
1991	356	144	4	1	2	n/a	n/a	40	547
1992	426	169	4	0	4	n/a	n/a	0	603
1993	360	119	3	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	484
1994	351	123	2	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	478
1995	303	93	0	1	7	n/a	n/a	0	404
1996	303	93	0	1	7	n/a	n/a	0	404
1997	321	91	0	1	6	n/a	n/a	0	419
1998	312	88	0	1	5	n/a	n/a	0	406
1999	278	109	4	1	6	n/a	n/a	0	398
2000	276	92	4	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	374
2001	274	91	2	1	2	n/a	n/a	0	370
2002	295	90	4	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	392
2003	295	90	4	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	392
2004	317	66	8	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	394
2005	349	76	7	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	436
2006	372	73	4	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	454
2007	381	88	4	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	480
2008	363	90	3	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	464
2009	340	76	2	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	425
2010	315	81	3	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	405
2011	302	77	3	12	4	0	25	0	423
2012	313	63	3	13	3	0	26	0	421
2013	322	59	1	10	4	0	30	0	426
2014	322	49	2	16	5	0	34	0	428
2015	323	42	4	15	4	0	35	0	423
2016	331	45	7	19	3	0	32	0	437
2017	321	46	5	18	3	0	29	0	422
2018	332	48	4	17	1	0	27	0	429
2019	313	51	5	17	1	0	34	0	421
2020	313	60	6	14	0	0	33	0	426
2021	257	58	6	13	0	1	27	0	362
2022	268	59	5	17	0	1	28	0	378
2023	296	63	6	16	1	1	28	0	411
2024	289	62	7	15	3	1	31	0	408

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 Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	512	22.7	22.5	n/a
1990	533	25.3	21.0	25
1991	547	26.3	20.7	26.7
1992	603	27.2	22.1	30
1993	484	25.2	19.2	37.4
1994	478	28.0	17.1	35.6
1995	404	21.2	19.1	35.1
1996	404	21.2	19.1	35.1
1997	419	19.3	21.7	35.3
1998	406	21.2	19.2	39.7
1999	398	21.3	18.7	41.2
2000	374	19.3	19.4	38
2001	370	21.5	17.2	38.6
2002	392	23.0	17.0	31.6
2003	392	23.0	17.0	31.6
2004	394	24.3	16.2	28.7
2005	436	28.0	15.6	30.7
2006	454	29.0	15.7	28.4
2007	480	29.5	16.3	24
2008	464	29.5	15.7	21.8
2009	425	26.2	16.2	23.3
2010	405	26.2	15.4	24.2
2011	423	24.0	17.6	27.2
2012	421	25.0	16.8	28.5
2013	426	25.0	17.0	29.3
2014	428	25.0	17.1	30.1
2015	423	27.0	15.6	29.3
2016	437	28.0	15.6	30.4
2017	422	28.4	14.8	31.3
2018	429	28.4	15.1	27.5
2019	421	28.3	14.8	33.5
2020	426	26.3	16.1	36.4
2021	362	28.0	12.9	34.3
2022	378	26.3	14.3	36.2
2023	411	28.5	14.3	41.1
2024	408	28.7	14.1	40.9

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 Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	512	22.7	22.5	n/a
1990	533	25.3	21.0	25
1991	547	26.3	20.7	26.7
1992	603	27.2	22.1	30
1993	484	25.2	19.2	37.4
1994	478	28.0	17.1	35.6
1995	404	21.2	19.1	35.1
1996	404	21.2	19.1	35.1
1997	419	19.3	21.7	35.3
1998	406	21.2	19.2	39.7
1999	398	21.3	18.7	41.2
2000	374	19.3	19.4	38
2001	370	21.5	17.2	38.6
2002	392	23.0	17.0	31.6
2003	392	23.0	17.0	31.6
2004	394	24.3	16.2	28.7
2005	436	28.0	15.6	30.7
2006	454	29.0	15.7	28.4
2007	480	29.5	16.3	24
2008	464	29.5	15.7	21.8
2009	425	26.2	16.2	23.3
2010	405	26.2	15.4	24.2
2011	423	24.0	17.6	27.2
2012	421	25.0	16.8	28.5
2013	426	25.0	17.0	29.3
2014	428	25.0	17.1	30.1
2015	423	27.0	15.6	29.3
2016	437	28.0	15.6	30.4
2017	422	28.4	14.8	31.3
2018	429	28.4	15.1	27.5
2019	421	28.3	14.8	33.5
2020	426	26.3	16.1	36.4
2021	362	28.0	12.9	34.3
2022	378	26.3	14.3	36.2
2023	411	28.5	14.3	41.1
2024	408	28.7	14.1	40.9

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 Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$773 (4.7%)	$15,752 (95.3%)	$16,526
2020	$809 (5.3%)	$14,417 (94.7%)	$15,226
2021	$727 (4.1%)	$17,098 (95.9%)	$17,825
2022	$1,002 (5.8%)	$16,264 (94.2%)	$17,266
2023	$865 (4.5%)	$18,169 (95.5%)	$19,033

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Dr. Thomas L. Higdon 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 205^th of 853 Elementary schools	Ranks 374^th of 855 Elementary schools	19.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	421	411	2.4%
African American	51	63	23.5%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	5	6	20%
Hispanic	17	16	5.9%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	313	296	5.4%
Two or More Races	34	28	17.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	33.5%	41.1%	7.6%

Schools Near Dr. Thomas L. Higdon 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
Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12872 Rock Point Rd	Newburg	20664	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 934-4091	408	29	14.1	40.9%	289 (70.8%)	62 (15.2%)	15 (3.7%)	7 (1.7%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (7.6%)	50.2	373^rd of 859 public elementary schools	56.6%		48.6	374^th of 855 public elementary schools	56.3%	1	37.1	41.5	20.4	33.7	50.0	53.0	36.4	47.0	23.6	$19,033	$865	$18,169
Dynard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	23510 Bushwood Rd	Chaptico	20621	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 769-4804	427	25	17.1	40.3%	328 (76.8%)	43 (10.1%)	20 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (8.2%)	60.8	302^nd of 859 public elementary schools	64.8%		70.9	227^th of 855 public elementary schools	73.5%	75	50.0	35.4	31.3	38.9	51.4	58.5	52.4	54.4	25.0	$17,440	$1,420	$16,019
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
White Marsh Elementary	Public	K-5	29090 Thompson Corner Rd	Mechanicsville	20659	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 472-4600	224	15	14.6	33.9%	167 (74.6%)	19 (8.5%)	19 (8.5%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (7.1%)	84.2	131^st of 859 public elementary schools	84.7%		90.5	76^th of 855 public elementary schools	91.1%	55	66.7	58.3	45.9	57.9	63.8	71.4	60.5	65.0	39.5	$19,368	$1,467	$17,901
Mechanicsville Elementary	Public	K-5	28585 Three Notch Rd	Mechanicsville	20659	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 472-4800	279	18	15.4	35.5%	226 (81.0%)	12 (4.3%)	18 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	22 (7.9%)	54.1	338^th of 859 public elementary schools	60.7%		53.8	343^rd of 855 public elementary schools	59.9%	5	46.0	36.4	28.8	37.7	38.1	68.2	40.4	47.2	26.4	$16,547	$1,443	$15,104
Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	37840 New Market Turner Rd	Mechanicsville	20659	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 472-4500	477	28	16.7	36.5%	386 (80.9%)	32 (6.7%)	26 (5.5%)	6 (1.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.2%)	46.8	401^st of 859 public elementary schools	53.3%		56.2	329^th of 855 public elementary schools	61.5%	72	38.8	25.9	26.4	30.5	50.0	48.1	37.5	45.5	25.0	$16,384	$1,368	$15,016
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
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
T. C. Martin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6315 Olivers Shop Rd	Bryantown	20617	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 274-3182	551	34	15.9	39.7%	238 (43.2%)	181 (32.8%)	57 (10.3%)	6 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	68 (12.3%)	48	392^nd of 859 public elementary schools	54.4%		44.2	421^st of 855 public elementary schools	50.8%	29	38.0	21.4	28.0	28.3	48.5	53.1	41.5	47.4	26.6	$15,716	$917	$14,798
Benjamin Banneker Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	27180 Point Lookout Rd	Loveville	20650	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 475-0260	528	41	13.0	36.2%	410 (77.7%)	47 (8.9%)	22 (4.2%)	10 (1.9%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (6.8%)	56	329^th of 859 public elementary schools	61.7%		56.4	325^th of 855 public elementary schools	62.0%	4	32.9	29.6	30.6	31.1	52.9	53.1	51.6	52.6	35.5	$18,433	$2,018	$16,415

Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Charles County Public Schools:

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Rank History for Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Rank History for Female students at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Rank History for Male students at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Rank History for African American students at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Enrollment information for Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School

Rankings

Student Body

Schools Near Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School