Original Research by School Decision on C. Elizabeth Rieg
C. Elizabeth Rieg is a special education school in Mitchellville, Maryland, serving students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. It is part of Prince George's County Public Schools, the large district that covers the county. The school is not a charter school, and its Title I status was not reported. Because it is a special education school, its purpose and academic profile differ fundamentally from a general-education school, and that shapes everything a parent or resident would want to know about it.
The school is small, with an enrollment that reflects its specialized mission. Students are spread across all grade levels, from kindergarten through twelfth grade, though the distribution is uneven, with the largest group in eleventh grade and a very small number of twelfth graders. The student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial share of Hispanic students and a smaller number of white, Asian, and multiracial students. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, indicating that the school serves a population with significant economic need. Data on the share of students with individualized education programs (IEPs) and English learner status was not reported, which is a gap a parent may want to clarify directly with the school.
State testing data was not available for this school. The comparison fact-set notes that proficiency metrics are not applicable because the school's data is missing, and the same is true for graduation rate and chronic absenteeism. This is not unusual for a special education school, where the student population may not participate in standard state assessments in the same way as students in general-education settings, and where graduation pathways may differ. A parent should expect that the school's academic accountability measures will look different from those of a typical school and should ask the school directly about how student progress is assessed and reported.
The school is located in Mitchellville, a community in Prince George's County. Housing values in the area are above the national median, and rents have been rising. The typical home value in the zip code is higher than the national benchmark, and the typical rent is also above the national median. The area's price-to-income ratio suggests that homeownership is expensive relative to local incomes, and the estimated monthly mortgage payment is roughly comparable to the typical rent. The national unemployment rate was stable at the time of the data, and real median household income nationally has been trending upward in recent years.
Prince George's County Public Schools, the parent district, has made several recent changes that could affect families. The district approved a budget increase for the fiscal year that includes additional funding for teacher salaries and student support services, which may influence class sizes and program availability. A district-wide literacy initiative was implemented in the 2023-2024 school year, adopting a new reading curriculum aligned with the science of reading, a shift that affects how elementary students are taught. The district also conducted a boundary review in 2024 to address overcrowding and facility use, with changes proposed for the 2025-2026 school year, which could alter school assignments for some families.
For a parent considering C. Elizabeth Rieg, the central fact is that this is a special education school. It does not report standard state assessment results or a graduation rate, and those metrics are not applicable in the same way they would be for a general-education school. The school's purpose is to serve students with disabilities, and its academic program is designed around that mission. A parent should expect to work directly with the school to understand how student progress is measured, what the curriculum looks like, and what transition or post-graduation pathways are available, especially given the small number of twelfth graders. The school's location in Mitchellville places it within a community where housing costs are above the national average, and the broader district is undergoing changes in budgeting, literacy instruction, and school boundaries that could affect families over time.
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