The top reported proficiency rate is 13% in English language arts. The lowest is 3% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Port Towns Elementary
Port Towns Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in Bladensburg, a dense residential suburb just northeast of Washington, D.C. The school sits within the Prince George's County Public Schools system, one of the state's largest districts. The town itself is compact, roughly a square mile, with a mix of early 20th-century subdivisions, mid-century apartment complexes, and a historic colonial core along Baltimore Avenue and Annapolis Road. Bladensburg is part of the "Port Towns" cluster along with Colmar Manor and Cottage City, and the area has seen revitalization efforts in recent decades, including waterfront park reconstruction and a new public library that opened in 2023.
The school population is large for an elementary serving PK through sixth grade, and it is diverse. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with Black students making up most of the remainder, and small shares of Asian, white, and multiracial students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Data on special education and English learner enrollment was not available, but the student composition overall points to a school serving a community with significant economic need.
On state assessments for the most recent testing year, Port Towns Elementary posted proficiency rates that were low in both reading and math across the tested grades of three through five. In English language arts, proficiency was in the low double digits at each grade level. In math, the rates were lower, falling in the single digits for every tested grade. Science proficiency at fifth grade was also very low. These results, across three years of combined testing, place the school well below state averages and in a position where a parent would want to explore what academic interventions and supports the school offers. The district recently implemented a system-wide literacy initiative aligned with the science of reading, which may affect instruction going forward, but data on what that looks like at this specific school was not available.
The school's academic results represent the only available performance data. Because Port Towns Elementary does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate. Chronic absenteeism and discipline data were also absent from the record, so a reader cannot assess those dimensions from this profile. The comparison framework that would normally position the school relative to other schools within Prince George's County was not applicable because the cohort was too small to produce a meaningful comparison. In plain terms, the available evidence on academic outcomes is thin beyond the test scores themselves, and a family considering this school may want to ask the school directly about class size, teacher stability, tutoring programs, and any after-school academic support.
Housing in the area around the school is priced below both the state and national benchmarks, which is consistent with a dense inner-suburb where many residents commute into Washington, D.C., for work. Rents are also moderate relative to the larger region. The district as a whole has seen recent budget increases directed toward teacher salaries and student services, along with a boundary review that could affect school assignments starting in the 2025-2026 school year. For families living in Bladensburg, those district-level changes may be worth monitoring, as they could shape the context at Port Towns Elementary in the years ahead.
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