Enrollment
340
Elementary
DISTRICT 487 · STATE 481
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·WICOMICO COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 240069001308
Northwestern Elementary
9975 Sharptown Rd, Mardela Springs, MD 21837 · (410) 677-5808 · Wicomico County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL340 STUDENTS
B+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 70% of Maryland public elementary schools
- B+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- B+Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Maryland public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
15.4:1
22 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.6:1 · STATE 13.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
48%
164 students
DISTRICT 59% · STATE 54%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 31 | 9% |
| Kindergarten | 51 | 15% |
| Grade 1 | 54 | 16% |
| Grade 2 | 49 | 14% |
| Grade 3 | 50 | 15% |
| Grade 4 | 58 | 17% |
| Grade 5 | 47 | 14% |
This year's kindergarten class (51) is 9% larger than its 5th grade class (47).
Student demographics
36%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 70% · STATE 73% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
MCAP 2024-25 . % Proficient (Levels 3-4)English Language Arts
60.1%
MD avg 50.6% . +5.1pp since 2023
Math
51.9%
MD avg 34.8% . +4.0pp since 2023
What this means: On the MCAP, Maryland's statewide test, about 60 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 52 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Maryland schools, those numbers are about 51 and 35. Reading and writing scores are up about 5 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 4 points.
MCAP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 60.1% | 51.9% |
| 2023-24 | 55.0% | 47.9% |
% Proficient (Levels 3-4), all students and all tested grades.
Source: MCAP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
53.7%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
45.7%
based on MD schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+8.1pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 54% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 46% typical for Maryland schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Maryland's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Northwestern Elementary
Northwestern Elementary's state test result (53.7% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Elementary this school | 340 | 48.2% | 53.7% |
| Warwick Elementary School Secretary | 346 | 51.2% | 65.8% |
| Fountain Rock Elementary Hagerstown | 319 | 48.0% | 53.1% |
| Willards Elementary Willards | 311 | 49.2% | 56.6% |
| St. Michaels Elementary St Michaels | 332 | 47.9% | 47.0% |
| Conowingo Elementary Conowingo | 379 | 47.2% | 44.5% |
Matched among Maryland elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Northwestern Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Maryland | In Wicomico County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 53.7% | #289 of 853 | #3 of 11 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 51.9% | #277 of 853 ▲ 36 | #4 of 11 no change |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 60.1% | #291 of 853 ▲ 13 | #4 of 11 ▼ 2 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 340 | #702 of 898 | #13 of 16 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.4:1 | #644 of 857 | #13 of 16 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 35.9% | #669 of 857 | #15 of 16 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 48.2% | #544 of 885 | #15 of 16 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +3.7% | #223 of 294 | N/A |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
340
+32 (+10%) vs 2020
+18% since 1990-91, when it was 288
Student : Teacher
15.4:1
was 15.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 340 | 22 | 15.4:1 | 48% (164) |
| 2023-24 | 335 | 21 | 15.9:1 | 53% (179) |
| 2022-23 | 341 | 21 | 16.2:1 | 54% (185) |
| 2020-21 | 308 | 20 | 15.4:1 | 51% (158) |
| 2017-18 | 328 | 19 | 17.3:1 | 48% (158) |
| 2015-16 | 302 | 18 | 16.8:1 | 49% (148) |
| 2010-11 | 289 | 18 | 16.1:1 | 50% (144) |
| 2000-01 | 297 | 19 | 15.6:1 | 44% (132) |
| 1990-91 | 288 | 16 | 18.0:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Northwestern Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students up 4% (328 to 340); teachers up 16% (19 to 22).
About Northwestern Elementary
Northwestern Elementary serves students in Mardela Springs, Maryland, as a small elementary school. A total of 340 students attend the school, which covers pre-K through 5. Against the 481-student average for elementary schools in Maryland, enrollment here is 29% lower.
Wicomico County Public Schools operates 25 schools. Combined enrollment is 15,582 students.
At 79%, White students outnumber all other groups at Northwestern Elementary combined. It is also 10% Black, 6% multiracial, and 4% Hispanic. Wicomico County's residents are about 59% White, 20 points below the school's share. By the diversity index, Northwestern Elementary comes in at 36%.
Its 22 full-time-equivalent teachers give the school a ratio of 15.4:1. That ratio is over the 13.8:1 average for elementary schools in Maryland. Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is 48%. On average, public schools in Wicomico County report 59%.
Measured against Maryland public elementary schools, Northwestern Elementary receives a B+. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
Northwestern Elementary scores 53.7% on state tests, averaged across results. The predicted figure, based on its student poverty level, is 45.7%.
Census Bureau estimates for Wicomico County show that median household income is about $76,210, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 30%, and about 9% of people live in poverty. A total of 25 public schools operate in Wicomico County, serving about 15,582 students.
Mardela Middle & High is the closest public school, about 0.3 miles away in a straight line. Northwestern Elementary is one of several public schools in the area, with 3 others within five miles. Nearby schools with test data average 47.8% proficiency; Northwestern Elementary posts 53.7%.
The National Center for Education Statistics classifies the school's location as Rural: Distant, meaning it is in rural territory some distance from an urban area.
The number of students grew from 308 to 340 over 4 years.
To ask about school safety, transportation, and start times, start a discussion on this page. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Wicomico County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
104,914
Census ACS
Median income
$76,210
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
30%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
9%
Below federal line
Schools in county
25
15,582 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Wicomico County Public Schools
- James M. Bennett HighHigh · 1,474 students
- Wicomico HighHigh · 1,304 students
- Parkside HighHigh · 1,272 students
- Prince Street SchoolElementary · 976 students
- Bennett MiddleMiddle · 963 students
- Delmar ElementaryElementary · 914 students
Other Northwestern Elementary schools
9 other US public schools in 9 states are named Northwestern Elementary. Northwestern Elementary is the 6th largest of the 10.
- Northwestern Elementary SchoolSpringfield, OH · 950 students
- Northwestern Elementary SchoolKokomo, IN · 665 students
- Northwestern Elementary SchoolWest Salem, OH · 632 students
- Northwestern ElementaryPoplar, WI · 515 students
- Northwestern Elementary SchoolAlbion, PA · 350 students
Nearby schools
- Mardela Middle & High0.3 mi · 742
- Vienna Elementary School4.7 mi · 183
- Westside Intermediate4.8 mi · 342
- Westside Primary7.5 mi · 201
- West Salisbury9.3 mi · 409
- Delmar Elementary9.5 mi · 914
Frequently asked questions
About Northwestern ElementaryHow many students attend Northwestern Elementary?
Northwestern Elementary enrolls approximately 340 students in grades PK-05.
What grades does Northwestern Elementary serve?
Northwestern Elementary serves grades PK-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwestern Elementary?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Northwestern Elementary is approximately 15.4:1 (22 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Northwestern Elementary?
Student demographics at Northwestern Elementary are roughly 79% White, 4% Hispanic, 10% Black, 1% Asian, 6% Two or more.
What district is Northwestern Elementary in?
Northwestern Elementary is part of Wicomico County Public Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.