The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Lincolnshire Elementary
Lincolnshire Elementary is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Hagerstown, part of Washington County Public Schools. The school sits in a mixed-use part of the city where the built environment moves between older limestone buildings downtown and more suburban residential and semi-rural patterns farther out. Hagerstown functions as the commercial and transit hub for a tri-state area, with interstates, rail, and an airport supporting a logistics-oriented economy, and its metropolitan area has been among the fastest-growing in Maryland. That growth context matters for families looking at the school: the district recently redrew elementary attendance boundaries in the Hagerstown area and voters approved a construction bond that funds a new elementary school and major renovations, so the physical footprint of local elementary education is in flux.
The student body at Lincolnshire is diverse and reflects a community with considerable economic need. About three-quarters of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Racially and ethnically, the school is roughly half white, with Hispanic and Black students each making up about a fifth of the enrollment, a smaller share of students who identify as two or more races, and very small numbers of Asian and Native Hawaiian students. The school is not a charter or magnet; it draws from its attendance zone, which the recent redistricting may have adjusted for the upcoming school year. A parent considering this school should confirm which elementary attendance boundaries now apply, as the district moved students from over-capacity schools to under-capacity ones starting in the 2025-2026 year.
On state assessments, Lincolnshire’s results show room for growth. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above declined across the tested grades, from about a third of third graders down to just over a fifth of fifth graders. In English language arts, proficiency was higher but still below half, with fourth graders performing slightly stronger than third and fifth graders. Fifth-grade science results were low, with about one in five students reaching the proficient level. These figures are from a single year of testing, so there is no trend data to show whether performance is improving or declining. For a parent, these numbers point to a school where core academic achievement is an area of focus; it is worth asking the school what targeted supports and interventions are in place, particularly in math and science, and how the school is working to raise proficiency rates across all tested grades.
The district is also in the early stages of implementing Maryland’s Blueprint for education reform, which has expanded pre-K classrooms, raised teacher salaries, and is developing career and technology programs at the high school level. While the Blueprint’s effects on elementary instruction may take time to be visible, the investment in early childhood and teacher retention could benefit Lincolnshire over the long term.
Housing in the area is relatively affordable. Homes in the surrounding zip code are priced well below the state median, and rents are moderate, though the gap between renting and owning is narrow. The city’s historic downtown offers walkable cultural amenities, parks, and the Cultural Trail, but the broader city is auto-oriented. For families who work in the Hagerstown metro or commute along the I-81 corridor, this is a reasonably priced market with a school that serves a high-need population and whose academic outcomes suggest a school still working to strengthen its core instruction.
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