The top reported proficiency rate is 19% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Bester Elementary
Bester Elementary is a regular public school in Hagerstown, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It sits in a city that calls itself the Hub City, a commercial and industrial center for a tri-state area where interstates meet freight rail. The surrounding landscape is rolling hills and limestone-built downtown blocks, but the school itself occupies a campus on Mill Street, separated from the walkable historic core. Hagerstown’s metro area has been growing fast by Maryland standards, though the city’s own population has held steady.
The student body is diverse. No single racial or ethnic group makes up a majority: white students form the largest share, followed by black students, then Hispanic students, and a sizable group of students who identify as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a marker of the economic realities many families bring through the door. Data on special education and English learner enrollment was not available in the materials reviewed, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.
State testing results from the most recent school year show that proficiency rates are low across all tested subjects and grades. In English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient or above ranged from about one in five in third and fourth grade to roughly one in seven in fifth grade. In math, rates were lower still, sitting around one in ten for each tested grade. Science proficiency, assessed only in fifth grade, was below one in ten. Only a single year of data was available, so there is no basis to say whether these numbers represent a trend or a single snapshot. Parents seeking a fuller picture of academic performance should consider asking the school about classroom-level growth measures and any improvement initiatives underway.
Because Bester is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report. The school does not serve high school grades, so indicators like four-year graduation and chronic absenteeism rates are not applicable.
The housing market in the area reflects a mix of affordability relative to the state. Home values and rents are lower than the Maryland median, which may open options for families priced out of closer-in suburbs or the Washington region. Rents have been rising, though, and the national economic context of elevated mortgage rates adds to the cost of buying. For a family considering a move, the neighborhood around the school is part of a broader city that is largely auto-dependent, with a walkable downtown that holds cultural anchors like the Maryland Theatre and the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, but with residential areas that require a car.
Several district-level changes are worth noting and may directly affect Bester families. Washington County Public Schools is in the early stages of implementing the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, a state reform law that has already added pre-K classrooms, raised teacher salaries, and expanded career-tech offerings at the technical high school. Those shifts signal a longer-term investment in early childhood and teacher quality, though Bester’s own pre-K program is part of that expansion. More immediately, the school board approved a redistricting plan that redraws elementary attendance boundaries in the Hagerstown area, taking effect in the upcoming school year. That plan moves a modest number of students between over-enrolled and under-enrolled schools, so families should confirm whether Bester’s boundaries have changed and whether their address still assigns to this school. Voters also approved a construction bond that funds a new elementary school and renovations to existing buildings around the county, which may eventually affect Bester’s facility or capacity.
The school’s own program offerings were not detailed in the available data, so a parent interested in specialty classes, arts, or enrichment should reach out to the school directly.
Bester Elementary serves a high-poverty, diverse student population in a mid-sized city that is growing at the metro level but stable within its own limits. The academic results are low, and the school is working within a district undergoing simultaneous changes in teaching salary, pre-K access, attendance boundaries, and facility investment. For a family weighing this school, the primary questions are about the specific supports the school provides for students who are behind grade level, how the redistricting affects enrollment, and what enrichment or intervention programs exist beyond what the test scores show.
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