Northwestern Elementary

Q: Is Northwestern Elementary a good school?

Northwestern Elementary ranks 308 th of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Northwestern Elementary is a public elementary school located in Mardela Springs, Maryland, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 341. The school is part of the Wicomico County Public Schools district, which is ranked 19 out of 25 in Maryland and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Northwestern Elementary consistently outperforms the Wicomico County Public Schools district and the state of Maryland in both Mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency across all grade levels. In the 2023-2024 school year, 41.9% of Northwestern Elementary students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 20% for the district and 24.1% for the state. In the same year, 57.4% of Northwestern Elementary students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 37.6% for the district and 48.4% for the state. The school's strong academic performance is reflected in its statewide ranking, which has ranged from 168 out of 847 Maryland elementary schools in 2016-2017 to 308 out of 859 in the current 2023-2024 school year, with a consistent 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite having a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds (54.25% in 2022-2023), Northwestern Elementary's low socioeconomic status students perform significantly better than their peers in the district, ranking 117 out of 546 Maryland elementary schools in this subgroup for the 2020-2021 school year. This suggests that the school may have effective strategies in place to support and uplift students from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, the school's predominantly white student population (80.35% in 2022-2023), with a lower percentage of African American (8.21%) and Hispanic (2.93%) students compared to nearby schools, may indicate a need to address issues of equity and inclusion within the school community.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

9975 Sharptown Rd
Mardela Springs, MD 21837

(410) 677-5808

District: Wicomico County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
308^th of 859 Maryland Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,113

Students who attend Northwestern Elementary usually attend:

High:

Mardela Middle & High

Student/teacher ratio: 16.2

Number of students: 341

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.4%

African American:

8.2%

Two or more races:

6.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 54.3%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Northwestern Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Northwestern Elementary ranks better than 64.1% of elementary schools in Maryland. It also ranks 2^nd among 10 ranked elementary schools in the Wicomico County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 59.57. (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 (80.4%), African American (8.2%), two or more races (6.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 54.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Northwestern Elementary is 16.2. 13 elementary schools in the Wicomico County Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Northwestern Elementary employs 21 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Northwestern Elementary is $16,113. 14 elementary schools in the Wicomico County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Wicomico County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Wicomico County Public Schools 19^th of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Northwestern Elementary.

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Rank History for Northwestern Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Northwestern Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	71.19	236^th	803	70.6%
2005	75.70	188^th	805	76.6%
2006	72.48	222^nd	804	72.4%
2007	66.27	300^th	818	63.3%
2008	66.15	303^rd	838	63.8%
2009	66.09	314^th	850	63.1%
2010	69.91	272^nd	855	68.2%
2011	70.73	237^th	853	72.2%
2012	67.75	290^th	857	66.2%
2013	81.77	108^th	847	87.2%
2014	66.06	330^th	867	61.9%
2015	50.07	388^th	859	54.8%
2016	70.19	247^th	845	70.8%
2017	80.71	168^th	847	80.2%
2018	76.03	202^nd	857	76.4%
2019	73.07	231^st	853	72.9%
2021	40.60	355^th	802	55.7%
2022	53.23	372^nd	862	56.8%
2023	64.62	275^th	855	67.8%
2024	59.57	308^th	859	64.1%

See the entire list of Maryland Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Northwestern Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	59.62	117^th	546	78.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Northwestern Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	41.22	370^th	796	53.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Northwestern Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	37.52	384^th	788	51.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Northwestern Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	23.80	393^rd	528	25.6%

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: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, September 1, 2017

great school Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, December 6, 2010

All three of my children have attended Northwestern. The teachers have always been great, and the current principal (Mr. Bryson) is phenominal. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Northwestern Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	195	83	1	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	282
1990	188	87	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	278
1991	204	80	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	288
1992	214	81	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	299
1993	226	75	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	303
1994	222	73	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	297
1995	236	78	3	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	320
1996	236	78	3	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	320
1997	213	79	2	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	300
1998	244	83	2	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	335
1999	226	91	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	323
2000	201	68	2	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	276
2001	212	77	2	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	297
2002	190	75	2	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	278
2003	190	75	2	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	278
2004	204	71	4	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	292
2005	192	70	2	13	3	n/a	n/a	0	280
2006	198	61	0	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	271
2007	198	56	0	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	268
2008	196	51	1	9	3	n/a	n/a	0	260
2009	192	54	0	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	257
2010	227	47	1	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	287
2011	213	28	1	22	1	0	24	0	289
2012	211	30	1	18	0	0	26	0	286
2013	219	34	6	17	1	0	30	0	307
2014	233	37	6	13	2	0	34	0	325
2015	223	33	6	14	1	0	34	0	311
2016	223	24	7	15	1	0	32	0	302
2017	225	34	5	12	1	0	32	0	309
2018	240	35	7	9	2	0	35	0	328
2019	235	35	6	5	3	0	34	0	318
2020	256	26	4	10	3	0	35	0	334
2021	239	25	3	10	2	2	27	0	308
2022	258	22	4	14	2	2	29	1	332
2023	274	28	5	10	2	0	22	0	341

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 Northwestern Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	282	14.7	19.1	n/a
1990	278	15.2	18.2	23.7
1991	288	16.2	17.7	25.3
1992	299	17.2	17.3	28.8
1993	303	19.7	15.4	28.4
1994	297	19.8	15.0	32
1995	320	20.0	16.0	28.1
1996	320	20.0	16.0	28.1
1997	300	17.1	17.5	29.7
1998	335	19.6	17.1	31.3
1999	323	19.6	16.5	41.2
2000	276	19.5	14.2	39.5
2001	297	19.7	15.1	44.4
2002	278	18.4	15.1	45
2003	278	18.4	15.1	45
2004	292	20.5	14.2	47.3
2005	280	19.0	14.7	50.4
2006	271	19.0	14.3	44.3
2007	268	19.2	14.0	46.3
2008	260	20.2	12.9	52.7
2009	257	20.3	12.7	51
2010	287	18.5	15.5	47.4
2011	289	18.5	15.6	49.8
2012	286	17.0	16.8	54.9
2013	307	17.0	18.0	54.1
2014	325	17.0	19.1	49.8
2015	311	18.0	17.2	49.2
2016	302	18.0	16.7	49
2017	309	19.0	16.2	49.5
2018	328	19.0	17.2	48.2
2019	318	18.0	17.6	48.4
2020	334	18.0	18.5	44
2021	308	20.0	15.4	51.3
2022	332	19.0	17.4	51.2
2023	341	21.0	16.2	54.3

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 Northwestern Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	282	14.7	19.1	n/a
1990	278	15.2	18.2	23.7
1991	288	16.2	17.7	25.3
1992	299	17.2	17.3	28.8
1993	303	19.7	15.4	28.4
1994	297	19.8	15.0	32
1995	320	20.0	16.0	28.1
1996	320	20.0	16.0	28.1
1997	300	17.1	17.5	29.7
1998	335	19.6	17.1	31.3
1999	323	19.6	16.5	41.2
2000	276	19.5	14.2	39.5
2001	297	19.7	15.1	44.4
2002	278	18.4	15.1	45
2003	278	18.4	15.1	45
2004	292	20.5	14.2	47.3
2005	280	19.0	14.7	50.4
2006	271	19.0	14.3	44.3
2007	268	19.2	14.0	46.3
2008	260	20.2	12.9	52.7
2009	257	20.3	12.7	51
2010	287	18.5	15.5	47.4
2011	289	18.5	15.6	49.8
2012	286	17.0	16.8	54.9
2013	307	17.0	18.0	54.1
2014	325	17.0	19.1	49.8
2015	311	18.0	17.2	49.2
2016	302	18.0	16.7	49
2017	309	19.0	16.2	49.5
2018	328	19.0	17.2	48.2
2019	318	18.0	17.6	48.4
2020	334	18.0	18.5	44
2021	308	20.0	15.4	51.3
2022	332	19.0	17.4	51.2
2023	341	21.0	16.2	54.3

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 Northwestern Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$578 (4.7%)	$11,720 (95.3%)	$12,298
2020	$723 (5.8%)	$11,742 (94.2%)	$12,465
2021	$3,665 (26.9%)	$9,938 (73.1%)	$13,604
2022	$2,069 (13.7%)	$13,053 (86.3%)	$15,122
2023	$2,430 (15.1%)	$13,683 (84.9%)	$16,113

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Northwestern 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 231^st of 853 Elementary schools	Ranks 275^th of 855 Elementary schools	5.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	318	341	7.2%
African American	35	28	20%
American Indian	3	2	33.3%
Asian	6	5	16.7%
Hispanic	5	10	100%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	235	274	16.6%
Two or More Races	34	22	35.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	48.4%	54.3%	5.8%

Schools Near Northwestern 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
Northwestern Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9975 Sharptown Rd	Mardela Springs	21837	Wicomico County	Wicomico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 677-5808	341	21	16.2	54.3%	274 (80.4%)	28 (8.2%)	10 (2.9%)	5 (1.5%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (6.5%)	59.6	308^th of 859 public elementary schools	64.1%		64.6	275^th of 855 public elementary schools	67.8%	33	44.6	48.9	31.9	41.9	50.0	77.8	46.8	57.4	10.6	$16,113	$2,430	$13,683
Vienna Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4905 Ocean Gateway	Vienna	21869	Dorchester County	Dorchester County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 943-3775	174	14	12.4	100.0%	125 (71.8%)	24 (13.8%)	11 (6.3%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (7.5%)	43.4	434^th of 859 public elementary schools	49.5%		47.5	385^th of 855 public elementary schools	55.0%	49	50.0	32.1	19.4	32.5	58.3	50.0	22.6	42.2	16.1	$22,289	$2,267	$20,021
Westside Intermediate	Public	2-5	8000 Quantico Rd	Hebron	21830	Wicomico County	Wicomico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 677-5118	343	30	11.4	43.7%	217 (63.3%)	44 (12.8%)	41 (12.0%)	4 (1.2%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (9.3%)	46.9	399^th of 859 public elementary schools	53.6%		66.4	264^th of 855 public elementary schools	69.1%	135	45.6	48.4	29.9	41.8	38.0	40.0	31.2	36.7	18.8	$20,531	$2,914	$17,617
Westside Primary	Public	PK, KG-1	6046 Quantico Rd	Quantico	21856	Wicomico County	Wicomico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 677-5117	192	15	12.8	41.7%	135 (70.3%)	13 (6.8%)	23 (12.0%)	3 (1.6%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	15 (7.8%)								(n/a)										$22,122	$2,079	$20,043
West Salisbury	Public	PK, KG-2	1321 West Road	Salisbury	21801	Wicomico County	Wicomico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 677-5816	361	27	13.3	57.9%	50 (13.9%)	206 (57.1%)	67 (18.6%)	6 (1.7%)	3 (0.8%)	3 (0.8%)	26 (7.2%)								(n/a)										$19,385	$3,829	$15,556
Delmar Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	811 S Second Street	Delmar	21875	Wicomico County	Wicomico County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 677-5178	858	52	16.5	36.8%	494 (57.6%)	140 (16.3%)	90 (10.5%)	36 (4.2%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	97 (11.3%)	51.9	362^nd of 859 public elementary schools	57.9%		57.7	316^th of 855 public elementary schools	63.0%	46	45.8	42.2		44.1	40.7	39.7		40.3		$15,046	$2,466	$12,580
Pemberton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1300 Pemberton Dr	Salisbury	21801	Wicomico County	Wicomico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 677-5809	546	43	12.6	55.3%	110 (20.1%)	323 (59.2%)	43 (7.9%)	18 (3.3%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	48 (8.8%)	23.3	605^th of 859 public elementary schools	29.6%		26.8	573^rd of 855 public elementary schools	33.0%	32	37.0	18.8	14.8	24.2	27.1	28.6	24.6	26.8	6.3	$19,513	$3,852	$15,661
Charles H. Chipman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-1	711 Lake St	Salisbury	21801	Wicomico County	Wicomico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 677-5814	296	28	10.7	65.2%	29 (9.8%)	208 (70.3%)	39 (13.2%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	16 (5.4%)								(n/a)										$23,081	$5,917	$17,164
North Salisbury Elementary	Public, Magnet	3-5	1213 Emerson Ave	Salisbury	21801	Wicomico County	Wicomico County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(410) 677-5807	505	41	12.3	38.0%	175 (34.7%)	167 (33.1%)	79 (15.6%)	42 (8.3%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (7.5%)	74.9	200^th of 859 public elementary schools	76.7%		70.5	230^th of 855 public elementary schools	73.1%	30	62.2	55.1	36.7	50.8	64.2	60.5	48.9	57.5	36.3	$17,653	$2,379	$15,274
Pinehurst Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	520 S Pinehurst Ave	Salisbury	21801	Wicomico County	Wicomico County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 677-5810	486	42	11.5	59.5%	113 (23.3%)	254 (52.3%)	66 (13.6%)	9 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	42 (8.6%)	21.6	628^th of 859 public elementary schools	26.9%		21.1	643^rd of 855 public elementary schools	24.8%	15	33.3	15.9	14.9	21.9	27.3	31.8	23.0	27.2	5.1	$22,455	$4,587	$17,868

Frequently Asked Questions about Northwestern Elementary

How many students attend Northwestern Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 341 students attended Northwestern Elementary.

Is Northwestern Elementary a good school?

Northwestern Elementary ranks 308^th of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Northwestern Elementary in?

Wicomico County Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Northwestern Elementary attend?

Students who attend Northwestern Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Mardela Middle & High

What is the racial makeup of Northwestern Elementary?

Students at Northwestern Elementary are 80% White, 8% African American, 6% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

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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.