The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in English language arts. The lowest is 30% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Bainbridge Elementary
Bainbridge Elementary is a regular public school in the Cecil County Public Schools system, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Located in the very small historic river town of Port Deposit on the east bank of the Susquehanna River in Cecil County, Maryland, the school draws its student body from a community whose character is defined by its granite heritage and a quiet, residential feel. The town was a bustling trade hub in the past but is now a quiet community, with its entire downtown listed as a historic district. Major redevelopment activity is occurring nearby, with the former Bainbridge Naval Training Center being converted into a logistics center, a project that represents the primary growth trajectory in the area.
The school’s enrollment is moderate for a primary school, and the student body is predominantly white. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community where housing affordability is a significant factor for many families.
State testing data from the most recent year gives a view into academic performance across grades and subjects. In English language arts, the share of students meeting proficiency standards in third grade was just above half, while fourth grade proficiency landed somewhat lower. Fifth grade performance in ELA was the strongest at the school. In math, the picture is mixed. Third grade proficiency was below half, and fourth grade proficiency was lower still. For fifth grade math, the reported data is a range that suggests roughly half of students were at the proficiency benchmark, a figure that places it between the third and fourth grade results. On the Maryland Integrated Science Assessment, taken in fifth grade, proficiency was lower than in either ELA or math at that grade level.
Because Bainbridge Elementary serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate or college readiness data reported for this school. The district itself has its own capital and budget context that families might want to be aware of. A major school construction project is underway to combine a high school and middle school into one shared campus in the Bohemia Manor feeder area, with completion expected by August 2026. The district also faced a budget shortfall in a recent fiscal year, warning of potential cuts to pre-kindergarten programs and staff increases, though it ultimately received its requested funding in a subsequent budget described as record funding.
For a family considering this school, the academic picture suggests areas of strength, particularly in fifth grade English language arts, alongside other grade-level results that are more modest. A parent may want to look into the school’s patterns in math performance in the earlier grades, and to understand how the school supports students who are not yet meeting the state benchmark. The community of Port Deposit is very small, with limited commercial activity, and the housing market reflects the broader Cecil County context, which offers some affordability relative to the state as a whole. The school’s setting is a quiet, historic river town rather than a suburban or urban environment, and the local economic development focus is on the industrial logistics center coming to the former naval base nearby.
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