Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary

Q: Is Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary a good school?

Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary ranks 138 th of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary is a public elementary school in Leonardtown, Maryland that serves 547 students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade. It 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.

Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary consistently outperforms the district and state in academic assessments, with 55.7% of students proficient or better in Mathematics and 63.1% in English Language Arts (ELA) in the 2023-2024 school year, compared to 29.1% and 54.9% for the district, and 24.1% and 48.4% for the state, respectively. The school also excels in 5th grade Science assessments, with 43.4% of students proficient or better, compared to 30.8% for the district and 23.9% for the state. Additionally, the school has a relatively diverse student population, with 74.04% White, 7.68% African American, 4.94% Hispanic, and 3.11% Asian students, and a significant population of military-connected students.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Chesapeake Charter School, Town Creek Elementary, and Greenview Knolls Elementary, Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary consistently outperforms them in academic assessments, particularly in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. However, some of the nearby schools have a more diverse racial makeup, and a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a lower socioeconomic status compared to Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

23595 Hayden Farm Lane
Leonardtown, MD 20650

(240) 309-4658

District: St. Mary's County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
138^th of 859 Maryland Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,797

Students who attend Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Leonardtown Middle
High:	Leonardtown High

Student/teacher ratio: 15.8

Number of students: 547

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.0%

Two or more races:

9.9%

African American:

7.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 17.2%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary ranks better than 83.9% of elementary schools in Maryland. It also ranks 2^nd among 19 ranked elementary schools in the St. Mary's County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 83.48. (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 (74%), two or more races (9.9%), African American (7.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 17.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the St. Mary's County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary is 15.8. 11 elementary schools in the St. Mary's County Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary employs 34.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary is $16,797. 11 elementary schools in the St. Mary's County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

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.)

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Rank History for Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile
2018	72.40	235^th	857	72.6%
2019	72.86	232^nd	853	72.8%
2021	70.35	176^th	802	78.1%
2022	78.74	185^th	862	78.5%
2023	74.51	212^th	855	75.2%
2024	83.48	138^th	859	83.9%

See the entire list of Maryland Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	71.13	148^th	796	81.4%

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

Rank History for Military Connected students at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	60.10	8^th	23	65.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	62.87	204^th	788	74.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	48.74	242^nd	528	54.2%

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 Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2016	453	38	18	26	1	0	35	571
2017	462	50	27	25	1	0	41	606
2018	479	36	19	27	2	0	39	602
2019	458	35	16	23	1	0	44	577
2020	438	41	16	23	1	0	43	562
2021	408	39	12	22	0	1	45	527
2022	409	41	15	23	0	2	59	549
2023	405	42	17	27	0	2	54	547

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 Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	571	34.0	16.7	16.5
2017	606	33.5	18.0	16.7
2018	602	35.9	16.7	16.8
2019	577	34.6	16.6	16.6
2020	562	34.4	16.3	15.8
2021	527	34.5	15.2	15.6
2022	549	34.5	15.9	13.3
2023	547	34.5	15.8	17.2

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 Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	571	34.0	16.7	16.5
2017	606	33.5	18.0	16.7
2018	602	35.9	16.7	16.8
2019	577	34.6	16.6	16.6
2020	562	34.4	16.3	15.8
2021	527	34.5	15.2	15.6
2022	549	34.5	15.9	13.3
2023	547	34.5	15.8	17.2

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 Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$338 (2.6%)	$12,784 (97.4%)	$13,123
2020	$876 (6.4%)	$12,792 (93.6%)	$13,668
2021	$1,182 (8.4%)	$12,846 (91.6%)	$14,029
2022	$1,480 (9.7%)	$13,772 (90.3%)	$15,252
2023	$1,446 (8.6%)	$15,351 (91.4%)	$16,797

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Captain Walter Francis Duke 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 232^nd of 853 Elementary schools	Ranks 212^th of 855 Elementary schools	2.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	577	547	5.2%
African American	35	42	20%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	16	17	6.3%
Hispanic	23	27	17.4%
Pacific Islander	0	2
White	458	405	11.6%
Two or More Races	44	54	22.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	16.6%	17.2%	0.5%

Schools Near Captain Walter Francis Duke 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 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
Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	23595 Hayden Farm Lane	Leonardtown	20650	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 309-4658	547	35	15.8	17.2%	405 (74.0%)	42 (7.7%)	27 (4.9%)	17 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	54 (9.9%)	83.5	138^th of 859 public elementary schools	83.9%		74.5	212^th of 855 public elementary schools	75.2%	74	62.0	51.1	53.5	55.7	59.0	67.0	63.6	63.1	43.4	$16,797	$1,446	$15,351
Leonardtown Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	22885 Duke St	Leonardtown	20650	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 475-0250	483	28	17.2	29.4%	338 (70.0%)	68 (14.1%)	30 (6.2%)	17 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (6.0%)	75	196^th of 859 public elementary schools	77.2%		83.4	134^th of 855 public elementary schools	84.3%	62	48.4	60.3	45.8	51.1	46.7	73.5	51.4	56.0	45.1	$16,332	$1,727	$14,606
Benjamin Banneker Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	27180 Point Lookout Rd	Loveville	20656	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 475-0260	590	41	14.5	41.9%	426 (72.2%)	83 (14.1%)	20 (3.4%)	7 (1.2%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (8.6%)	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
Evergreen Elementary School	Public	K-5	43765 Wildewood Parkway	California	20619	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 863-4060	736	43	17.1	23.6%	450 (61.1%)	101 (13.7%)	85 (11.5%)	42 (5.7%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	54 (7.3%)	80.5	161^st of 859 public elementary schools	81.3%		76.4	194^th of 855 public elementary schools	77.3%	33	54.4	46.3	52.9	51.0	51.8	70.5	63.2	62.3	44.7	$14,411	$1,348	$13,063
Hollywood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	44345 Joy Chapel Rd	Hollywood	20636	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 373-4350	474	26	18.1	29.5%	324 (68.4%)	48 (10.1%)	36 (7.6%)	16 (3.4%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (9.9%)	69.6	244^th of 859 public elementary schools	71.6%		67.5	257^th of 855 public elementary schools	69.9%	13	62.9	33.3	34.2	42.9	61.8	65.8	57.9	61.9	28.9	$16,305	$1,537	$14,767
Oakville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	26410 Three Notch Road	Mechanicsville	20659	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 373-4365	258	18	14.3	44.6%	189 (73.3%)	35 (13.6%)	8 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (9.7%)	66.4	267^th of 859 public elementary schools	68.9%		80.7	158^th of 855 public elementary schools	81.5%	109	42.0	46.7	53.4	47.7	44.0	57.8	51.7	51.0	29.8	$19,572	$1,556	$18,016
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	395	25	15.8	42.0%	300 (75.9%)	41 (10.4%)	17 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (9.4%)	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
Town Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	45805 Dent Dr	Lexington Park	20653	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 863-4044	216	16	13.2	45.4%	118 (54.6%)	33 (15.3%)	26 (12.0%)	8 (3.7%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (13.9%)	61.5	299^th of 859 public elementary schools	65.2%		66.9	260^th of 855 public elementary schools	69.6%	39	41.7	41.2	32.3	38.6	39.4	52.9	58.1	50.0	40.0	$20,170	$1,506	$18,664
Greenview Knolls Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	45711 Military Ln	Great Mills	20634	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 863-4095	412	29	14.3	62.4%	131 (31.8%)	156 (37.9%)	40 (9.7%)	16 (3.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	68 (16.5%)	34.5	492^nd of 859 public elementary schools	42.7%		44.8	411^th of 855 public elementary schools	51.9%	81	27.1	26.1	19.7	23.8	37.5	42.6	31.8	36.6	22.1	$18,905	$2,598	$16,308
Green Holly Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	46060 Millstone Landing Rd	Lexington Park	20653	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 863-4064	492	40	12.3	62.8%	180 (36.6%)	192 (39.0%)	53 (10.8%)	21 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (9.3%)	59.3	309^th of 859 public elementary schools	64.0%		44.8	410^th of 855 public elementary schools	52.0%	101	49.0	39.2	35.3	41.2	52.9	45.1	52.0	50.0	25.0	$23,479	$4,911	$18,568

Frequently Asked Questions about Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary

What schools do graduates of Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary attend?

Students who attend Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Leonardtown Middle
High : Leonardtown High

How many students attend Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 547 students attended Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary?

Students at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary are 74% White, 10% Two or more races, 8% African American, 5% Hispanic, 3% Asian.

What district is Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary in?

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Is Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary a good school?

Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary ranks 138^th of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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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.