Original Research by School Decision on Crossland High
Crossland High is a regular public high school serving ninth through twelfth grade in Temple Hills, Maryland, part of the Prince George’s County Public Schools system. The school itself is physically situated in the neighboring Camp Springs CDP, but it carries a Temple Hills postal address and serves as the zoned high school for students living in the Temple Hills area. Temple Hills is a primarily residential, unincorporated place characterized by garden apartments, duplexes, and single-family homes built mostly between the 1950s and 1970s. There is no traditional downtown or pedestrian commercial corridor; shopping is concentrated at nearby centers like Iverson Mall and Marlow Heights Shopping Center. The area is auto-oriented, with easy access to the Capital Beltway and the Metrorail Green Line, which provides a transit link to Washington, D.C. and beyond.
The student body is sizable for a high school of this grade band, with an enrollment that is predominantly Black and includes a substantial Hispanic/Latino presence. Smaller numbers of White, Asian, and multiracial students round out the demographics. A large share of students come from low-income households, as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch.
State testing data is limited in what is available for review. For the 2024–2025 school year, the proficiency rate in English language arts stood somewhere below half of tested students. In mathematics and Algebra I, the share of students reaching proficiency was lower. A single prior data point from the 2020–2021 school year for eighth-grade science, reported as a very low range, suggests that performance in science was also weak, though that assessment is from an earlier grade and a period of disrupted schooling. A reader may wish to follow up with the school on the specifics of its current academic program and supports. No graduation rate was available in the data provided, a gap that may reflect the particular reporting cycle for this high school. Similarly, information on discipline, chronic absenteeism, staffing, and course access was not included, so any assessment of school climate or program breadth must come from direct inquiry.
The parent district, Prince George’s County Public Schools, has undertaken several initiatives that affect Crossland High. A recent operating budget increase directed additional funding to teacher salaries and student support services, which may influence class sizes and the availability of extra help for students. A district-wide literacy initiative adopted in the 2023–2024 school year introduced a new reading curriculum aligned with the science of reading, a shift that affects how all students are taught literacy. A boundary review was conducted in 2024 to address overcrowding and facility use, with proposed changes for the 2025–2026 school year that could alter attendance zones, including those for Crossland.
Temple Hills itself saw modest population growth over the past decade, and its housing stock is largely built out. Home values in the area are generally lower than the statewide benchmark, making it a relatively more affordable part of the Washington region for families. Rents are also below the national average price-to-income ratio, though housing costs remain a factor for many households.
For a family considering Crossland High, the school offers a large, diverse student body in a setting that is suburban and car-dependent, with Metro access within reach. The academic proficiency levels, based on the limited available data, are modest, particularly in math. The school’s location near Joint Base Andrews and the Census Bureau means a number of families commute to federal employment. The absence of information on graduation rates, program offerings, and other metrics means a parent should seek out the school’s own reports and visit to get a full sense of what is available.
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