The top reported proficiency rate is 27% in English language arts. The lowest is 7% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Bladensburg Elementary
Bladensburg Elementary is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in the town of Bladensburg, Maryland. It is part of Prince George's County Public Schools, a large district serving the Washington, D.C., suburbs. The school is a neighborhood anchor in a community that is dense, residential, and historically layered.
Bladensburg itself is a small town of about one square mile, situated on the Anacostia River. Its early 20th-century subdivisions like Decatur Heights and Sunnybrook are characterized by gridded streets and single-family homes, while mid-century apartment complexes and the Bladensburg Shopping Center fill out the rest. The town's historic core along Baltimore Avenue and Annapolis Road retains colonial-era structures, and the Port Towns Revitalization Initiative has spurred waterfront reconstruction and a new library branch that opened in 2023. Major surface roads carry heavy traffic, and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway runs just east of town. The community is compact, with schools, the library, and the waterfront park all within easy reach of one another.
The elementary school itself is a large one for its grade band, with an enrollment that reflects the town's demographic makeup. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller share of Black students and very small numbers of White, Asian, and other racial groups. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, indicating a high-poverty school population. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source material, so families may want to ask the school directly about those supports.
On state assessments, the proficiency rates are low. In math, the share of students scoring at or above the proficient level was in the teens for grade 3, slightly lower for grade 4, and under ten percent for grade 5. In English language arts, the rates were higher but still modest, ranging from roughly a fifth to a third of students across grades 3 through 5. Science proficiency at grade 5 was very low. These results are consistent with the challenges faced by a high-poverty school, but they also suggest that a parent considering this school should look into the specific academic supports and interventions the school offers. The district has recently implemented a system-wide literacy initiative adopting a science-of-reading curriculum, which may be a relevant factor for families of younger children.
The school's comparison to other districts in Prince George's County could not be made because the available data set was too small to produce a meaningful comparison. The broader district context includes a recent operating budget increase directed toward teacher salaries and student services, as well as a boundary review that may affect school assignments starting in the 2025-2026 school year. Families should be aware that redistricting could change which elementary school a child attends.
Housing in the zip code is relatively affordable compared to the Washington region. Typical home values and rents are below the state and national benchmarks, making this a more accessible area for families looking to buy or rent. The town's unemployment rate and median household income are in line with national figures.
Bladensburg Elementary is a neighborhood school in a dense, historic suburb with a high-poverty student body and academic results that reflect that reality. It is not a school with strong test scores, but it is a deeply local institution in a community that has invested in revitalization and new civic infrastructure. A parent weighing this school would want to understand the school's own programs for academic intervention, how the district's literacy initiative is being implemented here, and what the boundary review might mean for their child's future school assignment.
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