Total enrollment
4,586
-76 (-2%) vs SY 2020-21
13 schools in Dorchester County Public Schools
Maryland · 4,586 students · 5 cities
Dorchester County Public Schools reports 13 public K-12 schools and approximately 4,586 students enrolled, per NCES, an average school size of 353.
4-year change in Dorchester County Public Schools
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
11
0 (0%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Dorchester County Public Schools ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In Maryland | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 36.5% | #18 of 24 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 4,586 | #20 of 24 | #2,105 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 11 | #20 of 24 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 13.9:1 | #10 of 24 | #4,232 of 9,044 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 73.4% | #4 of 24 | #1,680 of 8,164 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 67.6% | #7 of 23 | #676 of 6,853 |
Districts need at least 2 schools and 500 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Inside Dorchester County Public Schools
State test results across the district's 9 scored schools run from Warwick Elementary School at 65.8% proficient to Mace's Lane Middle School at 15.9%, a gap of 49.9 points. That is the 10th widest gap among 24 Maryland districts with four or more scored schools.
Since 2017-18, the 11 district schools that reported both years went from 4,767 to 4,586 students (down 4%) and from 373 to 331 full-time teachers (down 11%), as of 2024-25.
Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across each school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25; schools with fewer than 100 students and schools serving specialized populations are left out. Staffing figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data and count only schools that reported students and teachers in both years.
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge-South Dorchester High School | Cambridge | High | 09-12 | 811 |
| North Dorchester High School | Hurlock | High | 09-12 | 526 |
| Mace's Lane Middle School | Cambridge | Middle | 06-08 | 490 |
| Maple Elementary School | Cambridge | Elementary | PK-05 | 483 |
| North Dorchester Middle School | Hurlock | Middle | 06-08 | 414 |
| Sandy Hill Elementary | Cambridge | Elementary | PK-05 | 393 |
| Hurlock Elementary School | Hurlock | Elementary | PK-05 | 391 |
| Warwick Elementary School | Secretary | Elementary | PK-05 | 346 |
| Choptank Elementary School | Cambridge | Elementary | PK-05 | 319 |
| South Dorchester School | Church Creek | Elementary | PK-08 | 230 |
| Vienna Elementary School | Vienna | Elementary | PK-05 | 183 |
| Dorchester County Career and Technology Center | Cambridge | High | 09-12 | 0 |
| Judith P. Hoyer Early Childhood Center | Cambridge | Elementary | PK-05 | 0 |
About Dorchester County Public Schools
Dorchester County Public Schools is a low-population public-school district in Maryland. The district maintains 13 schools and teaches approximately 4,586 students.
On the school-mix side, Dorchester County Public Schools spans 8 elementary, 2 middle, and 3 high schools.
Average enrollment per school in Dorchester County Public Schools is about 353, lower than the Maryland average of roughly 643.
Over the past 4-year window. Combined enrollment now sits at 4,586 students, stayed largely flat from the 4,662 reported in SY 2020-21.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Dorchester County Public Schools discusses enrollment trends, district policy changes, and bus-route updates. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.