The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in English language arts. The lowest is 7% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on James Mchenry Elementary
James McHenry Elementary is a regular public school in Lanham, Maryland, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It sits within the Prince George's County Public Schools system, one of the larger districts in the state. The school itself is a neighborhood elementary, drawing children from the surrounding Lanham area.
Lanham is an unincorporated census-designated place with a mix of residential subdivisions, apartment complexes, and commercial strips. Several corporate headquarters are based here, including a major edtech company, a grocery chain, a reverse logistics firm, and a media company. Doctors Community Hospital is also located in Lanham, and the proximity to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center shapes part of the local employment landscape. Residents rely heavily on cars for daily errands; there is no traditional downtown center. Schools are spread across the area on separate campuses.
The enrollment at James McHenry is substantial for an elementary school, and the student body is diverse. The largest share of students is Hispanic, followed by a significant population of Black students, with smaller groups of White, Asian, and other races. A very high share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, indicating that many families face economic challenges.
State testing data from the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program and the Maryland Integrated Science Assessment is available for grades three through five. In English language arts, the percentage of students scoring proficient or above varied by grade; third and fifth graders showed a modest share reaching that bar, while fourth graders performed lower. In mathematics, the results were markedly lower across all three tested grades, with only a very small fraction of students demonstrating proficiency. In science, tested only at grade five, the proficiency rate was again low.
Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, nor are there high school measures such as AP or dual-credit offerings. Chronic absenteeism data and staffing information were not available. The comparison set that would position this school against other elementary schools in Prince George's County was too small to compute, so a relative academic benchmark is not provided in the data.
The district, Prince George's County Public Schools, has recently approved a budget increase directed toward teacher salaries and student support, and has implemented a district-wide literacy initiative adopting a new evidence-based reading curriculum. A boundary review has also been conducted to address overcrowding. These are system-level changes that may affect James McHenry Elementary in the coming years.
No specialized programs or magnet designations are listed for this school in the available data. It operates as a regular public school with no charter or magnet status.
For a parent or resident considering James McHenry Elementary, this is a large, diverse neighborhood school serving a community with a strong mix of residential and commercial activity just outside Washington, D.C. The academic performance data, particularly in mathematics and science, shows that a large majority of students are not reaching proficiency benchmarks, and a parent may want to ask the school directly about instructional supports, interventions, and how the district's literacy initiative is being applied at this campus. The school's setting is suburban and car-dependent, with many local employers providing potential economic stability for families who work nearby. The absence of chronic absenteeism and program offerings in the public record means a family would need to gather that information from the school or district to get a fuller picture.
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