The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Waters Landing Elementary
Waters Landing Elementary is a regular public school in Germantown, Maryland, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of Montgomery County Public Schools. The student body is diverse, with the largest shares of students identifying as Black or Hispanic, followed by smaller groups of White, Asian, and multiracial students. A substantial portion of the student population qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting a school community with considerable economic diversity. Enrollment is sizable for an elementary school, and the grade-level counts suggest a reasonably full building across all five elementary grades.
State assessment results from the 2024-25 school year provide a snapshot of academic performance. In mathematics, proficiency rates hovered below the majority mark across grades three, four, and five, with each grade showing a share of students reaching the state's proficient-or-above level that falls well short of half. English language arts results were somewhat stronger, though still below the majority mark in each tested grade; the highest rate appeared in third grade, while fourth and fifth grades were lower. Science, assessed in fifth grade, showed a similarly limited share of students meeting proficiency. Only one year of testing data is available for this school, so no trend direction can be drawn. Families looking for a more complete picture of academic support and intervention programs may want to discuss these patterns directly with the school.
Germantown, where the school is located, is a large planned suburban community with a reputation for ethnic diversity, recognized nationally as the most ethnically diverse city in the United States in a 2023 ranking. The area was developed around a master plan that included a central downtown and several residential villages, each with its own schools and amenities. The community is car-oriented overall, though there is a walkable town center area with civic institutions, restaurants, and a commuter rail station. Major employers include federal government offices, a hospital, Montgomery College’s largest campus, and several technology companies, lending the area a stable employment base. Population growth has been modest but ongoing. The housing market in the school’s zip code reflects a relatively high-cost area, with home values having softened slightly in recent months and rents rising modestly.
Waters Landing Elementary is part of Montgomery County Public Schools, a large district that commands a significant share of the county’s budget. The district recently implemented a new elementary literacy curriculum, which could affect how reading is taught at the school. The district is also engaged in a systemwide boundary analysis that may eventually lead to changes in attendance zones, something for families to monitor. No comparison data with other schools in the county was available for this analysis, so how Waters Landing’s academic results sit relative to nearby elementary schools cannot be assessed from this data.
For a family considering this school, the key takeaway is that it serves a diverse, economically varied student body in a growing suburban community with strong civic and employment anchors. Academic proficiency on state assessments, particularly in math and science, is an area where many students are not yet meeting the state bar, and the school’s own data on English language arts suggests room for growth as well. The district-wide initiatives around literacy and boundaries may bring changes in the coming years. Parents would benefit from visiting the school, understanding what academic supports and enrichment are in place, and seeing how the school’s environment matches their child’s needs.
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