Is Bester Elementary a good school?

Bester Elementary ranks in the bottom 6.9% of Maryland elementary schools.

How many students attend Bester Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 494 students attended Bester Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Bester Elementary?

Students at Bester Elementary are 35% White, 26% African American, 19% Hispanic, 19% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Bester Elementary attend?

Students who attend Bester Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : E. Russell Hicks Middle High : South Hagerstown High

Bester Elementary

Summary:

Bester Elementary is a public elementary school in Hagerstown, Maryland, serving 494 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Washington County Public Schools district, which is ranked 12th out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Bester Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of Maryland elementary schools, with significantly below-average performance on state assessments. In 2023-2024, only 10.1% of Bester students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 25.6% for the district and 24.1% for the state. The school's performance is particularly low for African American and White student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 10-20% of Maryland elementary schools in these categories. Bester's high poverty rate, with 80-88% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, is likely a contributing factor to its academic challenges.

While Bester Elementary has a relatively low student-teacher ratio compared to nearby schools like Jonathan Hager Elementary, Hickory Elementary, and Eastern Elementary, these other schools significantly outperform Bester on academic measures. Despite increased spending per student at Bester, from $13,943 in 2018-2019 to $16,986 in 2020-2021, the school's academic outcomes have not yet improved, suggesting that factors beyond just funding may be contributing to its challenges.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

385 Mill St
Hagerstown, MD 21740

(301) 766-8001

District: Washington County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
800^th of 859 Maryland Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $21,025

Students who attend Bester Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	E. Russell Hicks Middle
High:	South Hagerstown High

Student/teacher ratio: 11.2

Number of students: 494

Racial breakdown:

White:

34.6%

African American:

26.3%

Hispanic:

19.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 88.5%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Bester Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Bester Elementary ranks worse than 93.1% of elementary schools in Maryland. It also ranks last among 24 ranked elementary schools in the Washington County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.34. (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 Student population at Bester Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (34.6%), African American (26.3%), Hispanic (19.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 88.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bester Elementary is 11.2, which is the lowest among 25 elementary schools in the Washington County Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Bester Elementary employs 44 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bester Elementary is $21,025, which is the highest among 25 elementary schools in the Washington County Public Schools District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Washington County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Washington County Public Schools 12^th of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Bester Elementary.

What do you think?

Your rating for Bester Elementary?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Bester Elementary

Compare

Rank History for all students at Bester Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	84.59	58^th	803	92.8%
2005	79.09	149^th	805	81.5%
2006	72.57	221^st	804	72.5%
2007	72.95	206^th	818	74.8%
2008	38.25	593^rd	838	29.2%
2009	35.47	619^th	850	27.2%
2010	29.86	674^th	855	21.2%
2011	10.96	795^th	853	6.8%
2012	13.83	778^th	857	9.2%
2013	5.22	826^th	847	2.5%
2014	10.66	793^rd	867	8.5%
2015	14.05	781^st	859	9.1%
2016	12.89	765^th	845	9.5%
2017	13.52	757^th	847	10.6%
2018	13.56	755^th	857	11.9%
2019	11.03	782^nd	853	8.3%
2021	16.83	676^th	802	15.7%
2022	25.64	619^th	862	28.2%
2023	14.14	746^th	855	12.7%
2024	11.34	800^th	859	6.9%

See the entire list of Maryland Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Bester Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	27.46	35^th	52	32.7%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Bester Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	30.56	413^th	546	24.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Bester Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	18.07	670^th	796	15.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Bester Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	18.85	648^th	788	17.8%

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

Rank History for African American students at Bester Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	18.46	467^th	504	7.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Bester Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	27.84	265^th	347	23.6%

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

Rank History for White students at Bester Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	12.04	492^nd	528	6.8%

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)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, April 5, 2018

Teachers are amazing and truly care about the children and how they are doing. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Bester Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	533	42	7	1	0	n/a	n/a	583
1990	546	24	6	3	0	n/a	n/a	579
1991	554	23	9	1	0	n/a	n/a	587
1992	567	24	11	2	0	n/a	n/a	604
1993	576	36	2	8	1	n/a	n/a	623
1994	583	41	2	13	0	n/a	n/a	639
1995	495	36	3	13	0	n/a	n/a	547
1996	495	36	3	13	0	n/a	n/a	547
1997	515	33	4	11	1	n/a	n/a	564
1998	484	55	7	13	2	n/a	n/a	561
1999	483	71	8	13	4	n/a	n/a	579
2000	427	78	3	12	3	n/a	n/a	523
2001	416	63	7	15	3	n/a	n/a	504
2002	407	104	2	15	5	n/a	n/a	533
2003	407	104	2	15	5	n/a	n/a	533
2004	386	115	2	18	6	n/a	n/a	527
2005	392	139	2	24	3	n/a	n/a	560
2006	397	129	3	26	5	n/a	n/a	560
2007	396	167	3	42	3	n/a	n/a	611
2008	404	173	4	31	3	n/a	n/a	615
2009	329	174	1	26	3	n/a	n/a	533
2010	310	173	1	17	4	n/a	n/a	505
2011	301	118	0	39	1	0	84	543
2012	242	90	0	40	0	0	64	436
2013	249	104	0	44	0	1	76	474
2014	238	123	0	50	0	0	74	485
2015	246	147	0	54	0	0	99	546
2016	261	175	0	58	2	0	94	590
2017	277	162	0	64	2	0	99	604
2018	268	178	1	69	2	0	100	618
2019	248	163	2	77	3	0	121	614
2020	210	145	2	90	2	0	121	570
2021	176	131	2	85	3	0	94	491
2022	183	147	0	88	3	0	103	524
2023	171	130	0	96	1	1	95	494

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 Bester Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	583	30.0	19.4	n/a
1990	579	30.0	19.3	34.9
1991	587	32.0	18.3	36.5
1992	604	31.6	19.1	48.3
1993	623	36.1	17.3	46.9
1994	639	34.5	18.5	53.7
1995	547	41.0	13.3	56.7
1996	547	41.0	13.3	56.7
1997	564	43.3	13.0	55.5
1998	561	38.3	14.6	48.3
1999	579	38.3	15.1	57.3
2000	523	40.9	12.8	58.5
2001	504	36.0	14.0	55.6
2002	533	38.0	14.0	66.4
2003	533	38.0	14.0	66.4
2004	527	34.5	15.3	72.3
2005	560	37.0	15.1	78
2006	560	38.0	14.7	77.5
2007	611	43.0	14.2	73.5
2008	615	43.5	14.1	81.3
2009	533	40.0	13.3	85.7
2010	505	43.0	11.7	88.9
2011	543	44.0	12.3	85.5
2012	436	38.0	11.4	77.8
2013	474	35.0	13.5	78.1
2014	485	36.0	13.4	91.5
2015	546	39.0	14.0	100
2016	590	38.0	15.5	99.5
2017	604	38.9	15.5	100
2018	618	39.0	15.8	100
2019	614	40.0	15.3	100
2020	570	41.0	13.9	79.8
2021	491	41.0	11.9	80
2022	524	39.0	13.4	82.1
2023	494	44.0	11.2	88.5

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 Bester Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	583	30.0	19.4	n/a
1990	579	30.0	19.3	34.9
1991	587	32.0	18.3	36.5
1992	604	31.6	19.1	48.3
1993	623	36.1	17.3	46.9
1994	639	34.5	18.5	53.7
1995	547	41.0	13.3	56.7
1996	547	41.0	13.3	56.7
1997	564	43.3	13.0	55.5
1998	561	38.3	14.6	48.3
1999	579	38.3	15.1	57.3
2000	523	40.9	12.8	58.5
2001	504	36.0	14.0	55.6
2002	533	38.0	14.0	66.4
2003	533	38.0	14.0	66.4
2004	527	34.5	15.3	72.3
2005	560	37.0	15.1	78
2006	560	38.0	14.7	77.5
2007	611	43.0	14.2	73.5
2008	615	43.5	14.1	81.3
2009	533	40.0	13.3	85.7
2010	505	43.0	11.7	88.9
2011	543	44.0	12.3	85.5
2012	436	38.0	11.4	77.8
2013	474	35.0	13.5	78.1
2014	485	36.0	13.4	91.5
2015	546	39.0	14.0	100
2016	590	38.0	15.5	99.5
2017	604	38.9	15.5	100
2018	618	39.0	15.8	100
2019	614	40.0	15.3	100
2020	570	41.0	13.9	79.8
2021	491	41.0	11.9	80
2022	524	39.0	13.4	82.1
2023	494	44.0	11.2	88.5

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 Bester Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$2,601 (18.7%)	$11,342 (81.3%)	$13,943
2020	$2,561 (17.9%)	$11,747 (82.3%)	$14,282
2021	$3,628 (21.4%)	$13,385 (78.8%)	$16,986
2022	$3,856 (21.7%)	$13,928 (78.3%)	$17,784
2023	$4,814 (22.9%)	$16,211 (77.1%)	$21,025

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Bester 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 782^nd of 853 Elementary schools	Ranks 746^th of 855 Elementary schools	4.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	614	494	19.5%
African American	163	130	20.2%
American Indian	3	1	66.7%
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	77	96	24.7%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	248	171	31%
Two or More Races	121	95	21.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	88.5%	11.5%

Schools Near Bester 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
Bester Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	385 Mill St	Hagerstown	21740	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 766-8001	494	44	11.2	88.5%	171 (34.6%)	130 (26.3%)	96 (19.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	95 (19.2%)	11.3	800^th of 859 public elementary schools	6.9%		14.1	746^th of 855 public elementary schools	12.7%	54	11.0	11.5	7.5	10.1	16.7	17.9	18.8	17.8	9.1	$21,025	$4,814	$16,211
Pangborn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	195 Pangborn Blvd	Hagerstown	21740	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 766-8282	673	50	13.3	81.0%	248 (36.8%)	153 (22.7%)	161 (23.9%)	18 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	93 (13.8%)	29.1	546^th of 859 public elementary schools	36.4%		25.3	589^th of 855 public elementary schools	31.1%	43	28.0	21.1	17.5	22.3	36.1	32.1	33.7	34.0	17.6	$18,794	$3,453	$15,341
Emma K. Doub Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1221 S Potomac St	Hagerstown	21740	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 766-8130	354	23	15.3	66.9%	196 (55.4%)	44 (12.4%)	52 (14.7%)	8 (2.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (14.7%)	71.6	230^th of 859 public elementary schools	73.2%		69	241^st of 855 public elementary schools	71.8%	11	40.3	36.2	47.8	41.7	62.7	56.9	56.7	58.9	42.6	$15,922	$1,453	$14,469
Eastern Elementary	Public	3-5	1320 Yale Dr	Hagerstown	21742	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 766-8122	433	32	13.4	85.0%	130 (30.0%)	126 (29.1%)	94 (21.7%)	11 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (16.6%)	37	470^th of 859 public elementary schools	45.3%		36.4	494^th of 855 public elementary schools	42.2%	24	30.8	20.4	21.0	23.8	38.2	43.3	46.0	42.7	17.9	$19,418	$3,537	$15,881
Ruth Ann Monroe Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	1311 Yale Drive	Hagerstown	21742	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 766-8668	567	43	13.1	80.1%	172 (30.3%)	165 (29.1%)	118 (20.8%)	23 (4.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	88 (15.5%)								(n/a)										$19,855	$3,967	$15,888
Salem Avenue Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1323 Salem Ave Ext	Hagerstown	21740	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 766-8313	687	48	14.4	89.8%	228 (33.2%)	165 (24.0%)	147 (21.4%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	140 (20.4%)	32	515^th of 859 public elementary schools	40.0%		35	509^th of 855 public elementary schools	40.5%	6	34.3	16.0	21.6	23.9	41.7	36.3	37.9	38.5	10.7	$18,536	$3,803	$14,733
Potomac Heights Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	301 E Magnolia Ave	Hagerstown	21742	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 766-8305	348	20	17.5	72.1%	142 (40.8%)	69 (19.8%)	75 (21.6%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	56 (16.1%)	40.6	451^st of 859 public elementary schools	47.5%		57.8	315^th of 855 public elementary schools	63.2%	136	33.9	25.0	27.1	29.1	47.3	37.2	39.6	41.8	18.4	$13,768	$1,174	$12,594
Lincolnshire Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	17545 Lincolnshire Rd	Hagerstown	21740	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 766-8206	496	37	13.4	74.0%	267 (53.8%)	76 (15.3%)	90 (18.1%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (11.9%)	33.4	502^nd of 859 public elementary schools	41.6%		42.2	437^th of 855 public elementary schools	48.9%	65	23.6	30.3	19.2	24.0	39.3	43.9	32.1	38.2	16.4	$20,608	$4,251	$16,357
Fountaindale Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	901 Northern Ave	Hagerstown	21742	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 766-8156	378	24	15.7	54.0%	191 (50.5%)	74 (19.6%)	57 (15.1%)	19 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (9.8%)	85	121^st of 859 public elementary schools	85.9%		86	114^th of 855 public elementary schools	86.7%	7	65.7	46.4	52.4	54.8	66.7	65.2	67.7	66.5	47.6	$17,351	$1,341	$16,010
Jonathan Hager Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12615 Sedgwick Way	Hagerstown	21740	Washington County	Washington County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 766-8440	469	29	16.1	77.2%	140 (29.9%)	182 (38.8%)	70 (14.9%)	8 (1.7%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	65 (13.9%)	30.8	532^nd of 859 public elementary schools	38.1%		45.1	406^th of 855 public elementary schools	52.5%	126	30.3	31.9	23.3	28.5	26.7	39.4	30.1	32.0	10.8	$16,768	$2,830	$13,938

Bester Elementary

Washington County Public Schools:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Bester Elementary

Rank History for all students at Bester Elementary

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Bester Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Bester Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Bester Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Bester Elementary

Rank History for African American students at Bester Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at Bester Elementary

Rank History for White students at Bester Elementary

Review counts

Enrollment information for Bester Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Bester Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Bester Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Bester Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Bester Elementary

Rankings

Student Body

Schools Near Bester Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about Bester Elementary

Rate Bester Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Sign up for updates!