The top reported proficiency rate is 55% in Math. The lowest is 32% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ebb Valley Elementary
Ebb Valley Elementary is a regular public school in Manchester, Maryland, serving prekindergarten through fifth grade. It sits within Carroll County Public Schools, a district where publicly reported information shows no major recent changes. The school itself was built in response to the town’s population growth, and it shares the community with an older elementary school and a high school that opened to relieve overcrowding. For families considering this school, the academic picture is one of clear strengths in early literacy and math alongside softer spots in later elementary grades.
State testing results from the most recent school year cover grades three through five in English language arts and math, plus grade five in science. In third grade, a strong majority of students scored proficient or above in both reading and math. By fourth grade, the share dropped to roughly half in reading and under half in math—a pattern that bears watching, especially in math, where the decline is steeper. Fifth graders reversed part of that trend: math proficiency recovered to near the third-grade level, reading stayed about the same as fourth grade, and science lagged, with fewer than half of students meeting the bar. Because the data covers only one year, there is no trend to compare; a parent may want to ask the school how these results have shifted over time and what supports are in place for students who struggle in the upper grades.
The student body of roughly 570 children is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic, Black, Asian, multiracial, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a figure that places the school on the lower end of economic need relative to many Maryland public schools. Enrollment is spread fairly evenly across kindergarten through fifth grade, with a smaller prekindergarten program. No data on students with disabilities or English learners was available.
Manchester itself is a small incorporated town in northeastern Carroll County, described as a typical Main Street community with no large employers inside its limits. Most residents commute to work, likely to Baltimore or southern Pennsylvania. The town has grown steadily and continues to expand, with new schools and a planned new town hall reflecting that development. Housing values in the area sit above the national median, and the local unemployment rate near the time of this report was in the low single digits, in line with broader conditions. Three state highways run through town, giving it a car-oriented feel; no public transit system was identified in publicly available material. The town offers substantial parkland, including a nature center opened as an open classroom for the local elementary schools, so outdoor resources are a concrete asset.
No information was available on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, or course access. Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not have charter or magnet status, and its Title I status was not provided.
For a family weighing Ebb Valley Elementary, the academic picture offers reassurance in the early grades and a reason to inquire further about fourth grade math and fifth grade science. The school sits in a town that is small, growing, and residential, with good parks and a traditional Main Street. The housing market is above the national average, and the community is one where most adults commute elsewhere for work. The student population is not highly diverse, and economic need is modest. A parent would want to visit, talk to teachers about how they support students who fall below proficiency, and see how the school’s approach matches their child’s needs.
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