The top reported proficiency rate is 74% in English language arts. The lowest is 65% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Showell Elementary
Showell Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through fourth grade in the small, historic town of Berlin, Maryland, as part of Worcester County Public Schools. Because the school ends at fourth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. The student body is large for an elementary school serving this grade span. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
Academically, the school posts performance that is a clear strength. On the state’s Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, both third and fourth graders scored well above a baseline of proficiency in English language arts. Math proficiency, while lower than ELA, still landed at levels that place the school comfortably in positive territory. These results are reported for a single year only, so there is no multi-year trend to examine, but the single snapshot shows a school where most students are meeting or exceeding the state’s academic standards in the core subjects.
The school is located in Berlin, a town that has invested heavily in its historic downtown and draws visitors for its brick Victorian storefronts, tree-lined streets, and proximity to Ocean City and Assateague Island. The town has been recognized as a Main Street Community by the state. Berlin’s population has grown at a steady pace in recent years, and the area around it, including the waterfront community of Ocean Pines, contributes to that growth. The local economy is anchored by Atlantic General Hospital and the Worcester County school system itself. Housing values in the ZIP code are near the middle of the national range, suggesting a community where housing costs are not exceptionally high for a coastal Maryland location.
Showell Elementary is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. The student population is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic, multiracial, Asian, and Black students. Information about the share of students with disabilities or English learners was not available in the data provided, nor were class sizes, staffing ratios, or discipline data. A parent interested in special education services or English language support would need to ask the school directly for those breakdowns.
The school sits within Worcester County Public Schools, which is one of the two largest employers in Berlin. Publicly reported information about recent district-level construction or renovation activity was not found, so a parent looking into facility conditions or upcoming capital projects may want to contact the district office.
Showell Elementary serves its students only through fourth grade, so families will need to plan for a transition to a different school for fifth grade and beyond. The district’s other schools in the Berlin area include Buckingham Elementary, Berlin Intermediate, Stephen Decatur Middle, and Stephen Decatur High School. The academic foundation laid at Showell appears solid for most students, and the school’s performance on state assessments gives no reason for concern about early elementary preparation. A family moving to the area who values strong early literacy and math outcomes will find a school that delivers them in a setting with a largely homogeneous student body, in a small town that has worked to preserve its historic character while accommodating modest growth.
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