The top reported proficiency rate is 63% in English language arts. The lowest is 37% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Evergreen Elementary School
Evergreen Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in California, Maryland, a census-designated place in St. Mary’s County. The school is part of St. Mary’s County Public Schools and sits in a suburban corridor that has grown substantially, driven by jobs at the nearby Patuxent River Naval Air Station. The surrounding community is car-dependent, with commercial activity strung along highway corridors rather than a walkable downtown.
The student body is large for an elementary school. The student population is mostly white, with smaller shares of Black, Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, meaning the school serves a broadly middle-income attendance zone, though a notable segment of families experience lower household income.
On the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP), Evergreen’s students showed a pattern in which reading results were a stronger point than math. In third grade, the share of students scoring proficient or above in English language arts was above the midpoint of the school’s own grade-level range, and that figure rose slightly in fourth grade and again in fifth. Across those three tested grades, the overall proficiency rate in ELA was solidly above most comparable schools in the state. Math results were more moderate. Third graders landed at a proficiency rate that was lower than the school’s ELA numbers, fourth graders posted a similar figure, and fifth-grade math was reported in a range that placed it near the same level. Taken together, the school’s math proficiency sat lower than its reading performance, and a family may want to ask how the school supports students who are still developing foundational math skills. Science, tested only in fifth grade, showed a substantially lower proficiency rate, a soft spot that is not unusual for elementary science assessments but is worth noting.
Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism and discipline data were not available in the source material, so a reader cannot draw conclusions about attendance patterns or behavioral climate from this profile alone.
The school’s course access, staffing ratios, and specific program offerings were not detailed in the available data. The district itself did not have any recent, prominent parent-relevant changes flagged in public sources, so the context around school operations is stable on the surface.
Finding a home within Evergreen’s attendance zone means buying into the California housing market, where home values have been trending upward and sit somewhat above the national median. Rents have also risen. The area’s economy is anchored by defense and technology jobs at the naval air station, and the community has seen sustained population growth over the past several decades, though the most recent census showed a slower pace than prior boom periods. Forbes previously ranked California among the best small places for business and careers, reflecting the economic draw of the region.
For a family deciding whether Evergreen fits, the academic picture is one in which reading instruction appears to be a clear strength, while math and science outcomes are more uneven. The school is a large, suburban public elementary in a growing, military-adjacent community. Parents who prioritize strong early literacy may find the school’s results reassuring. Those whose children need support in math or science may want to inquire directly about intervention programs and teacher resources. The absence of publicly reported data on special education and English learner populations means that a family with a child who has an IEP or is learning English should ask the school directly about those services and the share of students they serve.
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