The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in Science. The lowest is 12% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Henry E. Lackey High School
HenryE. Lackey High School sits in Indian Head, a small Charles County town whose identity and economy are shaped by the adjacent Naval Support Facility Indian Head. The base is one of the county's largest employers, and the town itself has a compact layout with civic anchors like the Village Green, a 13-mile rail trail, and the Velocity Center technology education hub, though commercial retail growth has been slow and many basic services remain limited. The high school is a regular public school serving ninth through twelfth grades as part of Charles County Public Schools.
The academic picture at Lackey is drawn from two sets of state assessment results, and neither offers a complete profile. For the 2020–21 school year, state testing data was reported for eighth-grade math and science, which is outside the school’s served grade band; those results likely reflect a small group of students and do not represent the high school’s overall performance. In math, a thin share of those tested reached proficiency, while in science the share was larger but still below half. More relevant are the 2024–25 results for algebra II and English language arts, which cover all tested students within the high school. In English language arts, a substantial share of students met proficiency, while in algebra II the share was lower, around a quarter of students. These results come from a single year, so no trend is available to see improvement or decline. The school reports no graduation rate in the available data, which means an important measure of student completion is missing; a parent may want to ask the school directly about four-year graduation outcomes.
The student body is moderately large for a high school and diverse. About half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a significant portion of families face economic challenges. The racial and ethnic composition is majority Black, with smaller shares of White, Hispanic, and multiracial students, and very small numbers of Asian, Native American, and Pacific Islander students. Data on students with disabilities and English learners is not reported, so it is unclear how well the school serves those populations.
Housing costs in Indian Head are above national benchmarks but below those in higher-cost parts of the Washington D.C. region, reflecting the town’s more rural and small-town character. The housing stock includes single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and apartments. The town has grown modestly since the last census, and revitalization efforts have focused on new civic infrastructure rather than commercial development. For families, the high school is the only public high school in the immediate area, and students who live in Indian Head and surrounding parts of western Charles County attend here.
No information is available about advanced placement courses, career and technical pathways, dual enrollment, or other program offerings at the school. The district briefing turned up no recent parent-relevant changes such as boundary adjustments or program expansions. Without this data, it is difficult to assess the breadth of academic opportunities beyond the core curriculum. Because the comparison set for Charles County districts had only one district, no meaningful comparison to other local districts is possible.
Henry E. Lackey High School serves a community that is closely tied to a major federal employer, and it reflects the economic and demographic realities of that setting. A parent looking at this school will want to follow up directly on graduation rates, program offerings, and how the school supports students who are economically disadvantaged, since the available data leaves those questions unanswered. The academic results suggest room for growth in math achievement, while English language arts performance is on firmer ground. The school’s size and diversity offer a broad peer environment, and its location in a small town with outdoor amenities may appeal to families who want a slower pace than suburban or urban alternatives.
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