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Excellent

#152 of 1,363 schools in MD

Top 11% in state

Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary

Elementary School · St. Mary's County Public Schools · Leonardtown, MD

A St. Mary's County Public Schools elementary school serving grades Pre-K – 5th.

23595 Hayden Farm Lane, Leonardtown, MD 20650

  • Math 59% vs MD 30% (2025)
  • Reading 68% vs MD 51% (2025)
  • 15.8:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress9.9Excellent50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data8
Annual Change+1.48 pts/yr
Data Period2015–2025
TrendImproving
Academics8.6Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency58.9% (2025 MCAP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency68.3% (2025 MCAP)
Math vs. State Avg+28.7 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+17.2 pts
Overall Proficiency64% (2025 MCAP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)61% (model expectation from 2025 MCAP)
vs. Expected+2.7 pts
Adjusted Percentile78th
Resources & Environment6.0Average20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio15.8:1
District spending per student$17,088
Chronic Absenteeism19.2%

Students at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary score 64% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 61%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 MCAP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. MD average.

Math Proficiency59%(2025 MCAP)
School
State
30%(2025 MCAP)
ELA Proficiency68%(2025 MCAP)
School
State
51%(2025 MCAP)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 11-year record (2015–2025), then recovered 32 points since 2020, reaching 64% in 2025.

Show all 8 years
2015
Math
46%
ELA
38%
2016
Math
48%
ELA
43%
2018
Math
55%
ELA
49%
2019
Math
55%
ELA
49%
2020*
Math
29%
ELA
34%
2021*
Math
29%
ELA
34%
2022
Math
46%
ELA
58%
2025
Math
59%
ELA
68%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 46% (multi-year average, 2015-2025) · reading/ELA 47% (multi-year average, 2015-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 16 test records from MD state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

17.7%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 6Car-Dependent
  • Bike 22Somewhat Bikeable
  • County Safety: Elevated1,267/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · county context, not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. A newer release may be available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$139,688

Median home value

$464,000

Median rent

$1,726/mo

College educated

41.6%

Homeownership

75.9%

Poverty rate

4%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 20650; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Little Seedlings Christian Preschool & KdgnPrivate · tuitionNot ratedPK–K1.0 mi7Compare →
Leonardtown ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.0PK–51.2 mi492Compare →
Father Andrew White Sj SchoolPrivate · tuition4.3privatePK–81.3 mi213Compare →
Chesapeake Charter SchoolCharter · enrollment unverified8.4K–8Not available540Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

St. Mary's County Public Schools

Schools in district
27
Rank in district
#2 of 26
District spending per student
$17,088NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
9.3%Census SAIPE · 2024

Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary is listed in St. Mary's County Public Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary

Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary is a public elementary school in Leonardtown, MD, part of St. Mary's County Public Schools, serving approximately 537 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 15.8:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 8.7 out of 10 and ranks #152 of 1,363 schools in MD.

State assessment records show 46% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2015-2025) and 47% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2015-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary

What grades does Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary serve?

Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary?

Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 537 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary is 15.8:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary rank in MD?

Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary ranks #152 of 1,363 schools in MD.

What is Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.7 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary has 46% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2015-2025) and 47% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2015-2025).

Is Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary a charter school?

No, Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary a Title I school?

No, Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary?

17.7% of students at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
537
Student-Teacher Ratio
15.8:1
Teachers (FTE)
34
Type
regular
Setting
Fringe Town
County
St. Mary's County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
19.2%
Area population (ZIP 20650)
15,979
Area average commute
30.3 min
Area median age
38.3
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 MCAP · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 MCAP · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 20650; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2015-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

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