Choptank Elementary School

Choptank Elementary School is an elementary campus of intimate scale in Cambridge, Maryland, one of the schools within Dorchester County Public Schools, teacheing 319 students in grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 481 students per school, that is 34% below typical.

Across the 11 schools in Dorchester County Public Schools (4,586 students total), Choptank Elementary School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On demographics, Choptank Elementary School lists that Black students make up the majority at 72%. The remainder looks like 14% Hispanic, 8% multiracial, 5% White. By comparison, Dorchester County as a whole is about 25% Black, so the school skews meaningfully more Black than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Choptank Elementary School has 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 11.8:1. The state averages around 13.8:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 95% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Dorchester County runs at roughly 73%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Choptank Elementary School performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 18.0%, the actual is 18.8%, a residual of +0.7 points.

Zooming out to the county, census data for Dorchester County shows median household income runs about $61,839, 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. Across Dorchester County's 13 public schools (combined enrollment of about 4,586 students), Choptank Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

Mace's Lane Middle School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.1 miles from this campus. 4 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Choptank Elementary School at 6th of 7; the average score across the group is 39.4%.

The campus sits in a small-town setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Choptank Elementary School's enrollment has shrank 16% since 2018, when it stood at 382 (now 319). Over the same period, the White share contracted from 14% to 5%. Class-load math has narrowed: from 13.4:1 in 2018 to 11.8:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for Choptank Elementary School typically covers sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.