Is Esperanza Middle a good school?

Esperanza Middle ranks 70 th of 328 Maryland middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Esperanza Middle?

In the 2022-23 school year, 875 students attended Esperanza Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Esperanza Middle?

Students at Esperanza Middle are 52% White, 25% African American, 10% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic, 3% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Esperanza Middle attend?

Students who attend Esperanza Middle usually go on to attend Leonardtown High

Esperanza Middle

Summary:

Esperanza Middle is a public middle school located in Lexington Park, Maryland, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 875. The school is part of the St. Mary's County Public Schools district, which is ranked 8th out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Esperanza Middle consistently performs above the state and district averages in both Mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) assessments. The school stands out in its Algebra I performance, with 73.8% of students proficient or better, significantly higher than the district (22.6%) and state (20%) averages. Esperanza Middle also has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools, with a higher percentage of African American (25.37%) and Hispanic (8.8%) students. However, the school's performance varies across different student subgroups, with Hispanic students performing exceptionally well, while African American students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds perform relatively poorly.

Compared to nearby schools, Esperanza Middle generally outperforms Margaret Brent Middle and Spring Ridge Middle in both Mathematics and ELA assessments. However, Leonardtown Middle, also part of the St. Mary's County Public Schools district, consistently outperforms Esperanza Middle across most metrics. Esperanza Middle's spending per student ($12,296 in 2020-2021) is higher than the state average, which may contribute to its relatively strong academic performance.

Detail:

Public 6-8

22790 Maple Rd
Lexington Park, MD 20653-9447

(301) 863-4016

District: St. Mary's County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
70^th of 328 Maryland Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,097

Students who attend Esperanza Middle usually attend:

High:

Leonardtown High

Feeder schools for Esperanza Middle:

Elementary:	Green Holly Elementary School
	Greenview Knolls Elementary
	Hollywood Elementary
	Town Creek Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 16.8

Number of students: 875

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.3%

African American:

25.4%

Two or more races:

9.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 41.4%

See top rated Maryland middle schools

Compare Esperanza Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Esperanza Middle ranks better than 78.7% of middle schools in Maryland. It also ranks 2^nd among 4 ranked middle schools in the St. Mary's County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 74.17. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Esperanza Middle has the smallest middle school student body size in the St. Mary's County Public Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (52.3%), African American (25.4%), two or more races (9.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 41.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Esperanza Middle is 16.8, which is the 2^nd best among 4 middle schools in the St. Mary's County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Esperanza Middle employs 52 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Esperanza Middle is $15,097, which is the 2^nd highest among 4 middle schools in the St. Mary's County Public Schools District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Esperanza Middle was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Esperanza Middle 70^th of 328 Maryland public middle schools. (See Esperanza Middle in the ranking list.)

St. Mary's County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks St. Mary's County Public Schools 8^th of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Esperanza Middle

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Rank History for all students at Esperanza Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	39.52	161^st	252	36.1%
2005	36.68	168^th	255	34.1%
2006	34.26	171^st	254	32.7%
2007	31.49	184^th	264	30.3%
2008	72.30	94^th	283	66.8%
2009	73.72	85^th	301	71.8%
2010	74.17	92^nd	324	71.6%
2011	70.80	93^rd	309	69.9%
2012	70.19	102^nd	314	67.5%
2013	66.57	109^th	316	65.5%
2014	74.30	91^st	339	73.2%
2015	74.90	71^st	315	77.5%
2016	69.21	84^th	314	73.2%
2017	72.21	80^th	317	74.8%
2018	63.83	106^th	328	67.7%
2019	61.28	110^th	316	65.2%
2021	66.42	80^th	303	73.6%
2022	77.02	73^rd	333	78.1%
2023	73.33	67^th	322	79.2%
2024	74.17	70^th	328	78.7%

See the entire list of Maryland Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Esperanza Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	39.68	76^th	136	44.1%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Esperanza Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	38.31	76^th	120	36.7%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Esperanza Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	31.70	210^th	273	23.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Esperanza Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	69.56	66^th	303	78.2%

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

Rank History for Military Connected students at Esperanza Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	49.59	16^th	27	40.7%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Esperanza Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	59.21	98^th	288	66.0%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Esperanza Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	47.81	63^rd	116	45.7%

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

Rank History for African American students at Esperanza Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	30.11	187^th	259	27.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Esperanza Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	80.07	15^th	207	92.8%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Esperanza Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	48.43	111^th	210	47.1%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Middle 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 student
Sunday, April 5, 2020

My favorite school. We enjoyed a variety of plays, musical performances, school events! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Esperanza Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	536	88	15	7	2	n/a	n/a	648
1990	511	90	14	8	1	n/a	n/a	624
1991	512	88	13	4	2	n/a	n/a	619
1992	531	87	17	8	0	n/a	n/a	643
1993	527	94	21	10	2	n/a	n/a	654
1994	534	128	24	14	3	n/a	n/a	703
1995	564	154	19	9	0	n/a	n/a	746
1996	564	154	19	9	0	n/a	n/a	746
1997	595	153	16	10	0	n/a	n/a	774
1998	644	149	18	16	2	n/a	n/a	829
1999	591	139	22	15	3	n/a	n/a	770
2000	598	164	24	15	2	n/a	n/a	803
2001	639	191	31	15	2	n/a	n/a	878
2002	737	218	31	18	3	n/a	n/a	1007
2003	737	218	31	18	3	n/a	n/a	1007
2004	661	182	30	16	5	n/a	n/a	894
2005	633	183	39	19	3	n/a	n/a	877
2006	609	190	49	23	9	n/a	n/a	880
2007	601	213	43	32	8	n/a	n/a	897
2008	585	234	40	24	9	n/a	n/a	892
2009	582	204	31	29	7	n/a	n/a	853
2010	592	175	26	64	5	n/a	n/a	862
2011	516	178	18	48	2	0	43	805
2012	471	183	26	50	3	1	41	775
2013	438	201	27	53	2	0	48	769
2014	490	205	33	42	3	0	47	820
2015	467	195	35	67	4	0	50	818
2016	464	187	25	74	2	1	53	806
2017	451	189	28	85	1	1	66	821
2018	480	221	29	85	1	0	86	902
2019	459	226	36	86	0	1	85	893
2020	461	200	31	81	0	2	92	867
2021	459	193	38	80	0	3	85	858
2022	468	191	34	87	2	3	80	865
2023	458	222	28	77	3	3	84	875

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 Esperanza Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	648	40.0	16.2	n/a
1990	624	41.9	14.8	12
1991	619	41.5	14.9	10.7
1992	643	43.7	14.7	9.5
1993	654	53.6	12.2	9.3
1994	703	38.7	18.2	16.4
1995	746	45.5	16.4	16.2
1996	746	45.5	16.4	16.2
1997	774	50.2	15.4	17.6
1998	829	50.4	16.4	15.9
1999	770	50.5	15.2	21.3
2000	803	54.0	14.9	19.9
2001	878	54.5	16.1	17.5
2002	1007	54.6	18.4	18.4
2003	1007	54.6	18.4	18.4
2004	894	56.0	16.0	19.1
2005	877	57.0	15.4	21
2006	880	56.0	15.7	21.5
2007	897	53.4	16.8	22.6
2008	892	56.3	15.8	23.5
2009	853	56.2	15.2	22
2010	862	57.2	15.0	23
2011	805	56.3	14.2	24.7
2012	775	53.1	14.5	26.1
2013	769	53.1	14.4	29.4
2014	820	52.1	15.7	28.5
2015	818	51.0	16.0	29.3
2016	806	50.0	16.1	28.8
2017	821	49.4	16.6	30.2
2018	902	50.0	18.0	34.7
2019	893	52.0	17.1	33.9
2020	867	53.0	16.3	35.6
2021	858	53.0	16.1	35.8
2022	865	52.0	16.6	33.4
2023	875	52.0	16.8	41.4

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 Esperanza Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	648	40.0	16.2	n/a
1990	624	41.9	14.8	12
1991	619	41.5	14.9	10.7
1992	643	43.7	14.7	9.5
1993	654	53.6	12.2	9.3
1994	703	38.7	18.2	16.4
1995	746	45.5	16.4	16.2
1996	746	45.5	16.4	16.2
1997	774	50.2	15.4	17.6
1998	829	50.4	16.4	15.9
1999	770	50.5	15.2	21.3
2000	803	54.0	14.9	19.9
2001	878	54.5	16.1	17.5
2002	1007	54.6	18.4	18.4
2003	1007	54.6	18.4	18.4
2004	894	56.0	16.0	19.1
2005	877	57.0	15.4	21
2006	880	56.0	15.7	21.5
2007	897	53.4	16.8	22.6
2008	892	56.3	15.8	23.5
2009	853	56.2	15.2	22
2010	862	57.2	15.0	23
2011	805	56.3	14.2	24.7
2012	775	53.1	14.5	26.1
2013	769	53.1	14.4	29.4
2014	820	52.1	15.7	28.5
2015	818	51.0	16.0	29.3
2016	806	50.0	16.1	28.8
2017	821	49.4	16.6	30.2
2018	902	50.0	18.0	34.7
2019	893	52.0	17.1	33.9
2020	867	53.0	16.3	35.6
2021	858	53.0	16.1	35.8
2022	865	52.0	16.6	33.4
2023	875	52.0	16.8	41.4

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 Esperanza Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$355 (2.9%)	$11,707 (97.1%)	$12,062
2020	$964 (7.5%)	$11,907 (92.5%)	$12,871
2021	$1,218 (9.9%)	$11,078 (90.1%)	$12,296
2022	$1,577 (11.3%)	$12,410 (88.7%)	$13,987
2023	$1,542 (10.2%)	$13,555 (89.8%)	$15,097

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Esperanza Middle

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 110^th of 316 Middle schools	Ranks 67^th of 322 Middle schools	14%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	893	875	2%
African American	226	222	1.8%
American Indian	0	3
Asian	36	28	22.2%
Hispanic	86	77	10.5%
Pacific Islander	1	3	200%
White	459	458	0.2%
Two or More Races	85	84	1.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	33.9%	41.4%	7.4%

Schools Near Esperanza Middle

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 Algebra I (2024)	MCAP Geometry (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 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Geometry End of Course	MCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Esperanza Middle	Public	6-8	22790 Maple Rd	Lexington Park	20653	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 863-4016	875	52	16.8	41.4%	458 (52.3%)	222 (25.4%)	77 (8.8%)	28 (3.2%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	84 (9.6%)	74.2	70^th of 328 public middle schools	78.7%		73.3	67^th of 322 public middle schools	79.2%	3	30.2	35.9	21.6	34.4	57.9	56.2	49.1	54.3	73.8		35.0	$15,097	$1,542	$13,555
Mill Creek Middle	Public	6-8	12200 Southern Connector Blvd	Lusby	20657	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 550-9190	446	32	14.1	41.5%	278 (62.3%)	69 (15.5%)	37 (8.3%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (13.0%)	41.5	158^th of 328 public middle schools	51.8%		38.5	166^th of 322 public middle schools	48.4%	8	12.3	17.7		15.4	47.8	45.6	41.7	45.1	46.2		16.2	$18,260	$1,517	$16,743
Leonardtown Middle	Public	6-8	24015 Point Lookout Rd	Leonardtown	20650	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 475-0230	969	55	17.6	26.7%	728 (75.1%)	96 (9.9%)	55 (5.7%)	18 (1.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	71 (7.3%)	83.2	45^th of 328 public middle schools	86.3%		80.6	51^st of 322 public middle schools	84.2%	6	43.7	40.1	17.1	37.8	68.6	61.4	57.4	62.4	54.0		39.4	$14,617	$1,430	$13,187
Spring Ridge Middle	Public	6-8	19856 Three Notch Rd	Lexington Park	20653	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 863-4031	987	61	16.1	60.5%	381 (38.6%)	343 (34.8%)	128 (13.0%)	30 (3.0%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	101 (10.2%)	39.3	170^th of 328 public middle schools	48.2%		49.1	132^nd of 322 public middle schools	59.0%	38	19.9	12.3	5.2	20.5	44.6	36.9	43.6	41.6	59.6	73.0	23.9	$15,367	$1,414	$13,953
Southern Middle	Public	6-8	9615 H G Trueman Rd	Lusby	20657	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 550-9250	449	32	14.0	42.8%	252 (56.1%)	102 (22.7%)	42 (9.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (11.1%)	28.8	209^th of 328 public middle schools	36.3%		34.6	186^th of 322 public middle schools	42.2%	23	5.5	9.9		9.1	39.7	37.0	36.1	37.6	34.2		17.9	$18,829	$1,531	$17,298
Margaret Brent Middle	Public	6-8	29675 Point Lookout Rd	Mechanicsville	20659	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 884-4635	935	54	17.4	35.9%	744 (79.6%)	66 (7.1%)	41 (4.4%)	5 (0.5%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	76 (8.1%)	68.7	79^th of 328 public middle schools	75.9%		71.5	72^nd of 322 public middle schools	77.6%	7	28.5	34.9	11.8	29.4	59.3	60.4	51.4	57.1	57.5		26.8	$14,859	$1,650	$13,209
Calvert Middle	Public	6-8	655 Chesapeake Blvd	Prince Frederick	20678	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 550-8970	652	45	14.6	32.7%	378 (58.0%)	123 (18.9%)	66 (10.1%)	4 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	81 (12.4%)	59	103^rd of 328 public middle schools	68.6%		64.5	91^st of 322 public middle schools	71.7%	12	16.6	22.7	6.1	20.9	48.1	67.8	57.9	58.2	47.7		29.1	$17,442	$1,392	$16,050

Esperanza Middle

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Rank History for Esperanza Middle

Rank History for all students at Esperanza Middle

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Esperanza Middle

Rank History for Special Education students at Esperanza Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Esperanza Middle

Rank History for Female students at Esperanza Middle

Rank History for Military Connected students at Esperanza Middle

Rank History for Male students at Esperanza Middle

Rank History for Asian students at Esperanza Middle

Rank History for African American students at Esperanza Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at Esperanza Middle

Rank History for White students at Esperanza Middle

Review counts

Enrollment information for Esperanza Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Esperanza Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Esperanza Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for Esperanza Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on Esperanza Middle

Rankings

Student Body

Schools Near Esperanza Middle

Frequently Asked Questions about Esperanza Middle

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