The top reported proficiency rate is 60% in English language arts. The lowest is 38% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Fountaindale Elementary
Fountaindale Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Hagerstown, a city that functions as the commercial and industrial center for a tri-state area of western Maryland, south-central Pennsylvania, and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. The school is part of Washington County Public Schools, the district that oversees all public education in the county. The surrounding area is characterized by a mix of older limestone buildings in a walkable historic downtown and a broader auto-oriented suburban and semi-rural landscape shaped by interstate highways. The metropolitan region has experienced notable growth, and the district is in the midst of implementing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a state reform effort that has added pre-kindergarten classrooms, raised teacher salaries, and expanded career technology programs. A recent redistricting plan redrew elementary attendance boundaries primarily in the Hagerstown area, a change that took effect for the 2025-2026 school year, and voters approved a construction bond funding a new elementary school along with major renovations to existing buildings.
Academically, the picture at Fountaindale is mixed and worth a close look. On state English language arts assessments, results are solid overall and show a clear upward trend by grade level. Third graders achieved at a rate near the midpoint of the benchmark, fourth graders somewhat higher, and fifth graders at the highest rate among the three tested grades. In math, the pattern is more uneven. Third graders performed at a moderate level, fourth graders came in lower, and fifth-grade math results were reported as a range rather than a single figure, a reporting approach that sometimes reflects small group sizes or confidentiality rules. A parent may want to ask the school directly for clarity on that fifth-grade math outcome. Science results for fifth graders were relatively low compared to the English language arts outcomes, which is a pattern worth noting.
The student body is economically diverse, with a significant share qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. Racially, the school is majority white, with notable shares of Hispanic, Black, and multiracial students, and a smaller Asian population. Because Fountaindale serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and data on special education classification and English learner status were not available in the materials reviewed. Chronic absenteeism data and staffing ratios were also absent from the available information, so those are gaps a family may want to investigate further.
Housing in the area shows home values that are somewhat below the state average, and rents that are moderate relative to national benchmarks. The context suggests a community where a family can find more affordable entry points into homeownership than in many other parts of Maryland, though the market has been moving. The district’s recent construction bond and boundary adjustments signal that enrollment patterns are shifting and that school facilities are receiving attention.
For a family considering Fountaindale, the key takeaway is that English language arts performance is a relative strength, while math and science results are areas where the school may look different from a peer school in a higher-performing district. The school serves a broad economic and racial mix of students in a growing region where the district is actively investing in early childhood and facilities. The lack of published data on staffing and chronic absenteeism means a parent should plan to ask those questions directly during a visit or enrollment conversation. This is a school that seems to provide a solid elementary foundation for many students, with clear room for growth in math and science instruction.
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