Enrollment
230
Elementary
DISTRICT 335 · STATE 481
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·DORCHESTER COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 240030000622
South Dorchester School
3485 Golden Hill Road, Church Creek, MD 21622 · (410) 901-6934 · Dorchester County
GRADES PK–08ELEMENTARY42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL230 STUDENTS
B+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 73% 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
14.4:1
16 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.3:1 · STATE 13.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
50%
114 students
DISTRICT 71% · 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 | 15 | 7% |
| Kindergarten | 26 | 11% |
| Grade 1 | 27 | 12% |
| Grade 2 | 17 | 7% |
| Grade 3 | 23 | 10% |
| Grade 4 | 22 | 10% |
| Grade 5 | 25 | 11% |
| Grade 6 | 23 | 10% |
| Grade 7 | 27 | 12% |
| Grade 8 | 25 | 11% |
This year's kindergarten class (26) is about the same size as its 8th grade class (25).
Student demographics
26%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 68% · 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
52.8%
MD avg 50.6% . +2.3pp since 2023
Math
61.5%
MD avg 34.8% . +6.5pp since 2023
What this means: On the MCAP, Maryland's statewide test, about 53 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 62 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 2 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 7 points.
MCAP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 52.8% | 61.5% |
| 2023-24 | 50.5% | 55.0% |
% 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
55.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
44.9%
based on MD schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+10.1pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 55% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 45% 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 South Dorchester School
South Dorchester School's state test result (55.0% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Dorchester School this school | 230 | 49.6% | 55.0% |
| Parkside Elementary Lavale | 222 | 50.5% | 68.4% |
| Bel Air Elementary Cumberland | 216 | 48.1% | 59.7% |
| Mt. Savage Elementary Mt Savage | 218 | 49.1% | 53.3% |
| Accident Elementary Accident | 221 | 53.4% | 57.9% |
| Emmitsburg Elementary Emmitsburg | 211 | 51.2% | 63.5% |
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 South Dorchester School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Maryland | In Dorchester County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 55.0% | #274 of 853 | #3 of 7 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 61.5% | #181 of 853 ▲ 55 | #3 of 7 ▼ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 52.8% | #379 of 853 ▼ 20 | #3 of 7 no change |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 230 | #833 of 898 | #6 of 7 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.4:1 | #492 of 857 | #4 of 6 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 26.0% | #757 of 857 | #6 of 6 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 49.6% | #522 of 885 | #7 of 7 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +7.0% | #175 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
230
+11 (+5%) vs 2020
+20% since 1990-91, when it was 192
Student : Teacher
14.4:1
was 13.7:1
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 | 230 | 16 | 14.4:1 | 50% (114) |
| 2023-24 | 240 | 15 | 16.0:1 | 100% (240) |
| 2022-23 | 225 | 15 | 15.0:1 | 100% (225) |
| 2020-21 | 219 | 16 | 13.7:1 | 100% (219) |
| 2017-18 | 215 | 16 | 13.4:1 | 100% (215) |
| 2015-16 | 206 | 15 | 13.7:1 | 46% (94) |
| 2010-11 | 169 | 16 | 10.6:1 | 38% (65) |
| 2000-01 | 209 | 14 | 14.9:1 | 25% (52) |
| 1990-91 | 192 | 11 | 17.4:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for South Dorchester School.
Since 2017-18: students up 7% (215 to 230); teachers unchanged (16 to 16).
About South Dorchester School
The public elementary school South Dorchester School is located in Church Creek, Maryland. It teaches 230 students in pre-K through 8. Elementary schools in Maryland have about 481 students on average; enrollment here is 52% lower.
Dorchester County Public Schools oversees South Dorchester School and 10 other schools, with 4,586 students in total.
A large majority of enrollment at South Dorchester School is White, at 86%. The school is also 5% Hispanic, 5% multiracial, and 3% Black. The White share of the county population is lower, at 62%. The diversity index for South Dorchester School is 26%. For US public schools as a whole it is 70%.
Its staff includes 16 full-time-equivalent teachers, for about 14.4 students per teacher. That is in line with the 13.8:1 average for elementary schools in Maryland. Roughly 50% of students at South Dorchester School can receive free or reduced-price lunch. Compared with the 73% average for public schools in Dorchester County, the school's rate is lower.
South Dorchester School holds a B+ allk12 Grade, placing it above 73% of Maryland public elementary schools.
South Dorchester School's average proficiency rate across its state test results of 55.0% is 10.1 points above the 44.9% the model predicts from its lunch-eligibility share.
The school's county is Dorchester County. According to Census Bureau estimates, the median household earns about $61,839 a year, roughly 19% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Public schools in Dorchester County number 13, with about 4,586 students.
Straight-line distance to the nearest public school, Maple Elementary School, is about 11.1 miles. Compared with its nearest neighbors, South Dorchester School ranks 1st of 8 on average proficiency.
Its NCES locale code is Rural: Distant: the school is in rural territory some distance from an urban area.
The school's student count increased 5% between the 2020-21 and 2024-25 school years.
Parents, students, and staff can share information on athletics, class schedules, and weather closures here. Members of the school community can share what they know.
Dorchester County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
32,754
Census ACS
Median income
$61,839
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
19%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
13
4,586 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Dorchester County Public Schools
- Cambridge-South Dorchester High SchoolHigh · 811 students
- North Dorchester High SchoolHigh · 526 students
- Mace's Lane Middle SchoolMiddle · 490 students
- Maple Elementary SchoolElementary · 483 students
- North Dorchester Middle SchoolMiddle · 414 students
- Sandy Hill ElementaryElementary · 393 students
Nearby schools
- Maple Elementary School11.1 mi · 483
- Cambridge-South Dorchester High School11.4 mi · 811
- Choptank Elementary School12.0 mi · 319
- Mace's Lane Middle School12.2 mi · 490
- Patuxent Appeal Elementary Campus13.6 mi · 641
- Sandy Hill Elementary13.7 mi · 393
Frequently asked questions
About South Dorchester SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at South Dorchester School?
South Dorchester School enrolls approximately 230 students in grades PK-08.
What grades does South Dorchester School serve?
South Dorchester School serves grades PK-08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Dorchester School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at South Dorchester School is approximately 14.4:1 (16 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at South Dorchester School?
At South Dorchester School, the student body is approximately 86% White, 5% Hispanic, 3% Black, 2% Asian, 5% Two or more.
What district is South Dorchester School in?
South Dorchester School is part of Dorchester County Public Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.