The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in English language arts. The lowest is 12% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Easton Elementary
Easton Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in the heart of the town of Easton, the county seat of Talbot County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The school is a regular public school within the Talbot County Public Schools district. It is not a charter or magnet school.
This is a large elementary school by enrollment. The student body is diverse, with a strong Hispanic plurality and a white population that makes up roughly a quarter of the school, alongside a Black share of about a fifth, with smaller Asian and multiracial groups. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which makes the school community one where economic need is widespread. Enrollment is relatively steady across each grade from kindergarten through fifth grade, with a prekindergarten program that is also well-attended.
On the 2024–25 state assessments, Easton Elementary’s proficiency rates fall below statewide averages. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was low in third grade, similar in fourth grade, and lower still in fifth grade. In English language arts, results were mixed by grade: fourth graders posted a rate notably higher than the schoolwide pattern, while third and fifth graders had lower rates. Science proficiency in fifth grade was also low. A parent looking at these results will see a school where the majority of students are working below grade-level expectations in math and reading, with fourth-grade reading as a relative bright spot. There was no prior-year data available for comparison, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent a trend or a single year's snapshot.
The school serves grades prekindergarten through five, so there is no graduation rate to report. Data on special education identification and English learner status were not available. Chronic absenteeism figures were also not reported, which is a gap a parent may wish to ask about directly.
Easton itself is a town with a traditional downtown anchored by the Talbot County Courthouse, and it has a notably older demographic profile. Washington Street offers a walkable core, but commercial corridors along US Route 50 and suburban-style shopping centers give much of the town a car-dependent feel. The local economy is anchored by the University of Maryland Shore Medical Center, Easton Utilities, and county government. The town has seen population growth in recent years and was named by Forbes as a top place for a vacation home, which brings an amenity-driven demand that has raised housing values. Home values in the area are above the national median, and rents are correspondingly high, which matters for a school where a large share of families qualify for assistance. The closest commercial airports are in Salisbury and Baltimore, and there is a general aviation airport north of town. No public transit system was identified in the sources reviewed.
The district brief for Talbot County Public Schools showed no recent major changes that met the bar for reporting, so there is nothing about budget shifts, boundary adjustments, or curriculum overhauls to account for here.
The comparison fact-set that would place Easton Elementary among other districts in Talbot County could not be calculated because the county has only one district, so there is no peer set to use. The school’s performance is best understood against the state context, which is the available reference point.
For a family considering Easton Elementary, the picture is straightforward. This is a school where economic disadvantage is the norm and where state test results suggest significant academic challenges. The town of Easton offers a compact downtown and steady growth but carries a cost of living that is elevated relative to the national median. The school’s size means a range of peer groups, and its diversity in racial and ethnic terms is notable for the region. A parent would want to visit, ask about how the school approaches intervention and support for students below grade level, and inquire about attendance patterns and special services, since those data were not available here.
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