Hillsmere Elementary vs West Annapolis Elementary

Hillsmere Elementary and West Annapolis Elementary sit 3.6 miles apart in Annapolis, Maryland, and both rank among the top schools in the state — but the gap between them is meaningful. Hillsmere Elementary holds an overall rating of 9.4/10 versus West Annapolis Elementary's 8.9/10, a half-point difference that translates to a state rank of #10 of 1363 in Maryland for Hillsmere against #54 of 1363 for West Annapolis. Both are genuinely high-performing schools; the question is which profile fits a family's priorities better.

On academic proficiency, West Annapolis Elementary edges ahead with a 9.9/10 academic score compared to Hillsmere Elementary's 9.6/10. The more striking contrast runs the other direction on growth: Hillsmere Elementary scores 9.8/10 on student growth versus West Annapolis Elementary's 8.8/10 — a full point separating the two. That gap means Hillsmere is consistently moving students further along their learning trajectories relative to where they started, a metric that matters especially for students entering below grade level or those looking to accelerate.

Hillsmere Elementary enrolls 393 students compared to West Annapolis Elementary's 240, making West Annapolis the smaller, more intimate campus. The student-teacher ratio at Hillsmere Elementary is 12.7:1 versus 13.3:1 at West Annapolis — a modest difference, though both remain well below state averages. The sharper demographic divide is in free and reduced-price lunch eligibility: Hillsmere Elementary serves 37% of students under that program while West Annapolis Elementary serves 19%. Hillsmere's higher growth score alongside a more economically diverse student body suggests the school is effectively serving a wider range of learners.

One structural difference parents should note: Hillsmere Elementary offers prekindergarten through grade 5, giving families the option to enroll as early as PK, while West Annapolis Elementary begins at kindergarten. Families with a four-year-old looking for continuity in a single building will find only Hillsmere accommodates that path. Both schools cap out at grade 5 and feed into the same middle school pipeline within the Anne Arundel County system.