The top reported proficiency rate is 4% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Johnston Square Elementary
Johnston Square Elementary is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Baltimore, Maryland. It sits within the Baltimore City Public Schools district, a large urban system. The school itself is small in enrollment for an elementary school serving that grade band, and the building is located in a city neighborhood that a parent would evaluate on its own street-level terms.
The student body is overwhelmingly Black, with a very small Hispanic population and a handful of multiracial students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, signaling that the school serves a community with concentrated economic need. This is the full picture of the student composition; the data did not include counts for students receiving special education services or English learner support, so a parent should ask directly about those programs and services.
On state assessments, the results are low across the board. In math, only a very small share of third graders scored proficient or above, and no tested fourth or fifth grader reached that bar. In English language arts, the pattern is similar: single-digit proficiency rates in every tested grade. In science, tested at fifth grade, no student scored proficient. The school’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Baltimore city. A parent considering this school should understand that the academic attainment numbers are very weak by conventional measures, and should seek information from the school about its instructional approaches, interventions, and what academic support is available.
The school does not serve grades where a graduation rate would be reported, so that measure does not apply here.
The housing context for the zip code shows home values in the lower range for the state, and rents that are moderate relative to national benchmarks. The city of Baltimore itself has shifted from heavy industry to a service economy, anchored by the Johns Hopkins Hospital and University as top employers, along with the Port of Baltimore. The city has many historic neighborhoods and a notable number of public monuments and historic buildings. The city's population has seen a slight decline in recent years. A major infrastructure project to replace the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge is underway, with a projected completion in a few years.
The district brief found no specific recent changes of lasting parent impact to report beyond general budget and enrollment data, so there is no information here on new programs, boundary shifts, or leadership changes at the district level.
Johnston Square Elementary is a small, high-need neighborhood elementary school where state test results show very low proficiency. For a family for whom academic attainment data is a central criterion, this school presents a significant challenge. A parent who lives in the attendance area and wants to understand what the school offers academically and how it supports students who are not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks would need to visit, talk to the principal, and ask about curriculum, tutoring, and intervention strategies directly. The school data does not include course access or staffing information, so a parent should also ask about class sizes, arts and enrichment, and any partnerships with community organizations.
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