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Public elementary school · Prince George's County Public Schools · Bowie, Maryland

Pointer Ridge Elementary

Pointer Ridge Elementary rates 7.6, among the strongest elementary schools in Prince George's County Public Schools, where the rated median is 6.4.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
7.6this school

7.6 on a one-to-ten scale; the Prince George's County Public Schools median is 6.4.

#328 of 1,363 schools in Maryland · Prince George's County Public Schools: 137 elementary schools rated, median 6.4

The brief

A Prince George's County Public Schools elementary school where students score 8 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 328 of 1,363 schools in Maryland and 30 of 194 in Prince George's County Public Schools.

Pointer Ridge Elementary is listed in Prince George's County Public Schools, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math32%5 points above the Maryland average of 27%223 students tested · 2026 MCAP
Reading54%2 points above the Maryland average of 52%224 students tested · 2026 MCAP
Proficiency declined earlier in the 18-year record (2009–2026), then recovered 28 points since 2021, reaching 43% in 2026.2026 MCAP; 30 test records from MD state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
8.0
50% of the rating
Academics
7.9
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
6.0
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

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

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 41% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 54% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

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 · 2026 MCAP · Medium confidence
  • 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 · 2026 MCAP · Medium confidence
  • 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)
State assessments · 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 20716; 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, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Pointer Ridge Elementary and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$122,683
Median home value
$405,900
Median rent
$2,140/mo
College educated
48.6%
Homeownership
70.1%
Poverty rate
4.5%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 20716; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
31
Car-Dependent
Transit Score
28
Some Transit
Bike Score
24
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
2,151/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Bowie. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Bowie), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
58.4%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. 8.9Compare →
  2. 7.7Compare →
  3. Pointer Ridge Elementarythis school
    7.6
  4. 7.3Compare →
  5. 6.8Compare →
  6. 6.8Compare →
  7. 6.6Compare →
  8. 4.0Compare →
  9. 3.7Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and two rate higher than Pointer Ridge Elementary.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Pointer Ridge Elementary serve?

Pointer Ridge Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.

How many students attend Pointer Ridge Elementary?

Pointer Ridge Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 315 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Pointer Ridge Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Pointer Ridge 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 Pointer Ridge Elementary rank in MD?

Pointer Ridge Elementary ranks #328 of 1,363 schools in MD.

What is Pointer Ridge Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Pointer Ridge Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.6 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 Pointer Ridge Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Pointer Ridge Elementary has 41% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 54% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Pointer Ridge Elementary a charter school?

No, Pointer Ridge Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Pointer Ridge Elementary a Title I school?

No, Pointer Ridge Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Pointer Ridge Elementary?

58.4% of students at Pointer Ridge 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 facts

Grades
Kindergarten – 5th
Enrollment
315
Student-teacher ratio
15.8:1
Teachers (FTE)
20
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Prince George's County
Rank in district
#30 of 194
Schools in district
199
District spending per student
$19,789
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
11.9%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 20716)
22,739
Area average commute
37 min
Area median age
43.2

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Maryland Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.