The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in English language arts. The lowest is 31% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Emma K. Doub Elementary
Emma K. Doub Elementary is a regular public school in Hagerstown, Maryland, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of Washington County Public Schools, the district that operates all public schools in the county. The school sits on South Potomac Street, on the south side of Hagerstown, a city that functions as the commercial and industrial hub for a tri-state area including western Maryland, south-central Pennsylvania, and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. Hagerstown’s nickname, the Hub City, reflects its extensive transportation network of interstates, freight rail, and a regional airport. The surrounding landscape is rolling hills and farmland, and many older buildings in town are built from locally quarried Stonehenge Limestone, giving the city a distinct look. The broader metropolitan area has been among the fastest-growing in Maryland, though the city’s own population has remained relatively stable.
Academically, Emma K. Doub Elementary participates in Maryland’s state assessments, the MCAP for math and English language arts and the MISA for science. Performance varies across subjects and grades. In third grade, roughly half of students met or exceeded proficiency in both math and reading. Fourth graders posted a stronger result in reading, where a majority were proficient, while math proficiency in that grade was somewhat lower. By fifth grade, reading and math proficiency rates were each around the midpoint, meaning about half of students were at grade level. Science, tested only in fifth grade, showed a smaller share of students reaching proficiency, a pattern families may want to discuss with the school to understand how science instruction is structured and supported.
The student body is diverse and economically varied. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, indicating that the school serves a low-income community. Racially, the enrollment is roughly half white, with notable shares of Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students. Asian students make up a small presence, and the school reports no Native American or Native Hawaiian students. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the records reviewed.
Hagerstown’s housing market is more affordable than the state average, with home values and rents below Maryland’s benchmarks. This makes the area accessible for many families, though the national price-to-income ratio suggests that homeownership still requires a sizable income. The city has a walkable historic downtown with an Arts and Entertainment District, a cultural trail, and venues like the Maryland Theatre and the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, though outside the core the city is largely auto-oriented.
Washington County Public Schools is in the midst of several changes that may affect this school. The district is implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a state reform that has already expanded pre-kindergarten classrooms and raised teacher salaries, with plans to broaden career and technology programs. The school board has also approved a redistricting plan affecting roughly a thousand students, primarily in the Hagerstown area, with new elementary attendance boundaries taking effect in the 2025-2026 academic year. That means families living near Emma K. Doub should confirm whether their address will continue to be zoned for this school. Additionally, voters passed a construction bond that funds a new elementary school and major renovations to existing buildings across the district, which could eventually affect facilities and capacity at this site.
For a parent or resident considering Emma K. Doub Elementary, the picture is that of a neighborhood school with a mixed academic profile, serving a diverse and predominantly low-income population in a growing but still affordable city. Reading performance in fourth grade is a relative bright spot, while math and science show room for development. The broader district changes, particularly the redistricting and the Blueprint implementation, will shape the school’s near future in ways worth watching.
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