Riverdale Elementary

Summary:

Riverdale Elementary is a public elementary school in Riverdale, Maryland, serving around 630 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Prince George's County Public Schools district, which is ranked 22 out of 25 in Maryland and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Riverdale Elementary has consistently been ranked in the bottom quarter of Maryland elementary schools, maintaining a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past decade. The school significantly underperforms the state and district averages in mathematics, English language arts, and science proficiency. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 7.8% of Riverdale students were proficient or better in mathematics, compared to 24.1% statewide and 10.8% in the district. The school also has an extremely high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 83.94% to 95.87% over the past few years, which is likely a contributing factor to the low academic performance.

While the nearby schools, such as Beacon Heights Elementary and Hyattsville Elementary, also generally underperform the state averages, they tend to have significantly better academic outcomes than Riverdale Elementary. These schools also have lower percentages of students eligible for free/reduced lunch, suggesting a potential link between socioeconomic status and academic performance. Despite the relatively high per-student spending and small class sizes at Riverdale Elementary, the school's academic performance has remained consistently poor over the past decade, indicating the need for a comprehensive, data-driven approach to address the root causes of its underperformance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

5006 Riverdale Rd
Riverdale, MD 20737-1916

(301) 985-1850

District: Prince George's County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
772^nd of 859 Maryland Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,814

Students who attend Riverdale Elementary usually attend:

Middle:

William Wirt Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 13.5

Number of students: 630

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

85.6%

African American:

6.2%

Asian:

4.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 95.9%

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Compare Riverdale Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Riverdale Elementary ranks worse than 89.9% of elementary schools in Maryland. It also ranks 115^th among 137 ranked elementary schools in the Prince George's County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.71. (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: Hispanic (85.6%), African American (6.2%), Asian (4.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 95.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Riverdale Elementary is 13.5, which is the 56^th best among 137 elementary schools in the Prince George's County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Riverdale Elementary employs 46.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Riverdale Elementary is $19,814, which is the 57^th highest among 137 elementary schools in the Prince George's County Public Schools District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Prince George's County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Prince George's County Public Schools 22^nd of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Riverdale Elementary.

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Rank History for Riverdale Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Riverdale Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	83.83	78^th	803	90.3%
2005	85.51	82^nd	805	89.8%
2006	84.78	80^th	804	90.0%
2007	78.66	141^st	818	82.8%
2008	28.59	679^th	838	19.0%
2009	30.78	660^th	850	22.4%
2010	18.72	766^th	855	10.4%
2011	19.10	743^rd	853	12.9%
2012	39.76	595^th	857	30.6%
2013	24.08	699^th	847	17.5%
2014	21.52	731^st	867	15.7%
2015	16.45	741^st	859	13.7%
2016	14.39	748^th	845	11.5%
2017	10.86	786^th	847	7.2%
2018	14.29	741^st	857	13.5%
2019	14.14	743^rd	853	12.9%
2022	19.75	703^rd	862	18.4%
2023	15.93	719^th	855	15.9%
2024	12.71	772^nd	859	10.1%

See the entire list of Maryland Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Male students at Riverdale Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	15.08	716^th	788	9.1%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Male 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: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, September 20, 2016

My son came to Riverdale in 2015 and is now in the 3rd grade. I am very pleased with the personal attention he received last year in the 2nd grad as well as what he is receiving so far this year. The classes are very large, about 25 students last year and about the same this year. This makes it even more remarkable that the two teachers pay attention to each and every student. Thank you Riverdale! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Riverdale Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	311	304	11	20	2	n/a	n/a	8	656
1990	291	329	10	23	4	n/a	n/a	0	657
1991	241	332	16	36	3	n/a	n/a	0	628
1992	198	342	33	37	2	n/a	n/a	0	612
1993	178	338	34	57	0	n/a	n/a	0	607
1994	160	328	33	88	1	n/a	n/a	0	610
1995	152	363	39	133	1	n/a	n/a	0	688
1996	152	363	39	133	1	n/a	n/a	0	688
1997	129	443	42	163	2	n/a	n/a	0	779
1998	82	398	32	164	3	n/a	n/a	0	679
1999	81	436	29	177	5	n/a	n/a	0	728
2000	71	436	25	217	4	n/a	n/a	0	753
2001	48	408	21	249	3	n/a	n/a	0	729
2002	46	202	14	300	2	n/a	n/a	0	564
2003	46	202	14	300	2	n/a	n/a	0	564
2004	36	179	17	341	0	n/a	n/a	0	573
2005	26	135	18	341	0	n/a	n/a	0	520
2006	32	122	15	373	1	n/a	n/a	0	543
2007	25	130	20	352	0	n/a	n/a	0	527
2008	27	124	16	410	2	n/a	n/a	0	579
2009	31	117	25	453	3	n/a	n/a	0	629
2010	28	115	21	491	3	n/a	n/a	0	658
2011	27	128	9	533	11	1	6	0	715
2012	26	125	9	580	15	2	5	0	762
2013	35	111	10	614	3	1	3	0	777
2014	41	99	8	576	5	3	5	0	737
2015	43	81	10	645	4	3	4	0	790
2016	35	65	10	676	7	2	2	0	797
2017	40	69	9	668	3	2	4	0	795
2018	30	60	26	628	2	0	4	0	750
2019	23	53	21	581	0	0	6	0	684
2020	19	57	10	628	0	0	6	0	720
2021	11	42	14	579	0	1	7	0	654
2022	23	38	16	551	2	0	5	0	635
2023	17	39	28	539	0	0	7	0	630

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 Riverdale Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	656	29.6	22.1	n/a
1990	657	31.8	20.6	35.3
1991	628	29.8	21.0	33.8
1992	612	28.3	21.6	42.5
1993	607	30.6	19.8	42.8
1994	610	31.2	19.6	53
1995	688	37.9	18.2	60.3
1996	688	37.9	18.2	60.3
1997	779	38.7	20.1	63.9
1998	679	40.7	16.7	75.8
1999	728	40.7	17.9	77.7
2000	753	43.7	17.2	78
2001	729	49.2	14.8	77.5
2002	564	51.2	11.0	87.6
2003	564	51.2	11.0	87.6
2004	573	49.3	11.6	80.8
2005	520	41.0	12.7	86.5
2006	543	45.0	12.1	75.1
2007	527	43.2	12.2	80.1
2008	579	47.2	12.3	85.3
2009	629	49.1	12.8	83.6
2010	658	51.2	12.8	89.4
2011	715	47.4	15.0	91
2012	762	48.6	15.6	88.8
2013	777	51.2	15.1	90.9
2014	737	47.1	15.6	95
2015	790	51.0	15.4	91.3
2016	797	53.0	15.0	90.5
2017	795	52.6	15.1	90.2
2018	750	54.6	13.7	88.4
2019	684	52.6	13.0	87.4
2020	720	50.6	14.2	88.3
2021	654	50.1	13.0	89.4
2022	635	44.7	14.2	83.9
2023	630	46.6	13.5	95.9

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 Riverdale Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	656	29.6	22.1	n/a
1990	657	31.8	20.6	35.3
1991	628	29.8	21.0	33.8
1992	612	28.3	21.6	42.5
1993	607	30.6	19.8	42.8
1994	610	31.2	19.6	53
1995	688	37.9	18.2	60.3
1996	688	37.9	18.2	60.3
1997	779	38.7	20.1	63.9
1998	679	40.7	16.7	75.8
1999	728	40.7	17.9	77.7
2000	753	43.7	17.2	78
2001	729	49.2	14.8	77.5
2002	564	51.2	11.0	87.6
2003	564	51.2	11.0	87.6
2004	573	49.3	11.6	80.8
2005	520	41.0	12.7	86.5
2006	543	45.0	12.1	75.1
2007	527	43.2	12.2	80.1
2008	579	47.2	12.3	85.3
2009	629	49.1	12.8	83.6
2010	658	51.2	12.8	89.4
2011	715	47.4	15.0	91
2012	762	48.6	15.6	88.8
2013	777	51.2	15.1	90.9
2014	737	47.1	15.6	95
2015	790	51.0	15.4	91.3
2016	797	53.0	15.0	90.5
2017	795	52.6	15.1	90.2
2018	750	54.6	13.7	88.4
2019	684	52.6	13.0	87.4
2020	720	50.6	14.2	88.3
2021	654	50.1	13.0	89.4
2022	635	44.7	14.2	83.9
2023	630	46.6	13.5	95.9

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 Riverdale Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,052 (6.9%)	$14,261 (93.1%)	$15,313
2020	$876 (6.6%)	$12,493 (93.4%)	$13,369
2021	$1,399 (9.1%)	$13,995 (90.9%)	$15,394
2022	$2,310 (13.1%)	$15,290 (86.9%)	$17,600
2023	$2,415 (12.2%)	$17,400 (87.8%)	$19,814

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Riverdale 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 743^rd of 853 Elementary schools	Ranks 719^th of 855 Elementary schools	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	684	630	7.9%
African American	53	39	26.4%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	21	28	33.3%
Hispanic	581	539	7.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	23	17	26.1%
Two or More Races	6	7	16.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	87.4%	95.9%	8.4%

Schools Near Riverdale 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 6th 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 6th 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
Riverdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5006 Riverdale Rd	Riverdale	20737	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 985-1850	630	47	13.5	95.9%	17 (2.7%)	39 (6.2%)	539 (85.6%)	28 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.1%)	12.7	772^nd of 859 public elementary schools	10.1%		15.9	719^th of 855 public elementary schools	15.9%	53	13.5	5.7			7.8	19.2	28.1	22.1		23.1	6.5	$19,814	$2,415	$17,400
Hyattsville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5311 43rd Ave	Hyattsville	20781	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 209-5800	423	31	13.4	83.0%	62 (14.7%)	94 (22.2%)	244 (57.7%)	9 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.1%)	27.2	559^th of 859 public elementary schools	34.9%		25.4	587^th of 855 public elementary schools	31.3%	28	28.6	12.3	9.1		17.4	41.7	38.1	23.3		35.5	18.2	$20,422	$2,272	$18,150
Templeton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2500 Kenmoor Dr	Landover	20785	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 985-1880	799	59	13.4	96.0%	41 (5.1%)	122 (15.3%)	472 (59.1%)	159 (19.9%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	11.5	797^th of 859 public elementary schools	7.2%		17.8	682^nd of 855 public elementary schools	20.2%	115	9.7	13.2			8.6	18.7	24.2	12.6		18.6		$18,053	$1,835	$16,218
University Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4315 Underwood St	Hyattsville	20782	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 985-1898	437	33	13.4	52.6%	123 (28.1%)	107 (24.5%)	160 (36.6%)	33 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (3.0%)	33.9	499^th of 859 public elementary schools	41.9%		43.2	428^th of 855 public elementary schools	49.9%	71	37.3	15.1	16.4		23.0	45.2	36.0	35.0		38.8	19.7	$18,970	$1,630	$17,340
Port Towns Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	4351 58th Ave	Bladensburg	20710	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 985-1480	955	64	15.0	90.4%	7 (0.7%)	286 (29.9%)	645 (67.5%)	14 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	6.9	848^th of 859 public elementary schools	1.3%		10.1	808^th of 855 public elementary schools	5.5%	40	6.4					11.8	11.3	9.8	21.5	13.8		$16,981	$2,123	$14,858
Rogers Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	4301 58th Ave	Bladensburg	20710	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 985-1860	686	46	15.0	93.3%	14 (2.0%)	71 (10.3%)	586 (85.4%)	12 (1.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	16.5	700^th of 859 public elementary schools	18.5%		25	595^th of 855 public elementary schools	30.4%	105	16.7		5.1	7.7	8.1	26.7	17.9	24.0	37.2	26.5	5.2	$18,668	$2,438	$16,230
Bladensburg Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	4915 Annapolis Rd	Bladensburg	20710	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 985-1450	710	51	13.9	89.9%	24 (3.4%)	171 (24.1%)	505 (71.1%)	6 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	23.4	604^th of 859 public elementary schools	29.7%		23.9	611^th of 855 public elementary schools	28.5%	7	30.2	9.6	16.9	9.3	17.1	35.1	30.1	28.7	27.7	30.5	13.6	$19,092	$2,065	$17,026
Beacon Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	6929 Furman Pkwy	Riverdale	20737	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 918-8700	381	32	11.7	85.3%	13 (3.4%)	60 (15.7%)	299 (78.5%)	5 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	34.1	495^th of 859 public elementary schools	42.4%		33	526^th of 855 public elementary schools	38.5%	31	12.3	18.5	5.1	9.5	11.5	30.2	56.5	54.4	49.2	48.1	13.8	$21,267	$2,239	$19,028
Paint Branch Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5101 Pierce Ave	College Park	20740	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 513-5300	357	46	7.8	79.6%	27 (7.6%)	94 (26.3%)	205 (57.4%)	18 (5.0%)	5 (1.4%)	2 (0.6%)	6 (1.7%)	16.3	704^th of 859 public elementary schools	18.0%		27.7	565^th of 855 public elementary schools	33.9%	139	24.2	11.8	9.2		14.8	22.0	28.8	21.9		24.6	7.8	$29,170	$2,332	$26,838
Edward M. Felegy Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6110 Editors Park Dr	Hyattsville	20782	Prince George's County	Prince George's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 386-1610	726	59	12.3	91.6%	27 (3.7%)	146 (20.1%)	520 (71.6%)	15 (2.1%)	8 (1.1%)	3 (0.4%)	7 (1.0%)	16.5	701^st of 859 public elementary schools	18.4%		18.6	672^nd of 855 public elementary schools	21.4%	29	10.7	11.8	7.0		9.7	27.7	33.3	27.1		29.4	7.9	$19,638	$2,274	$17,364

Frequently Asked Questions about Riverdale Elementary

What district is Riverdale Elementary in?

Prince George's County Public Schools

How many students attend Riverdale Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 630 students attended Riverdale Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Riverdale Elementary attend?

Students who attend Riverdale Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : William Wirt Middle

Is Riverdale Elementary a good school?

Riverdale Elementary ranks in the bottom 10.1% of Maryland elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Riverdale Elementary?

Students at Riverdale Elementary are 86% Hispanic, 6% African American, 4% Asian, 3% White, 1% Two or more races.

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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.