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Public high school · Washington County Public Schools · Smithsburg, Maryland

Smithsburg High

Smithsburg High rates 6.2, right at the middle of Washington County Public Schools's high schools, whose rated median is 6.4.

High schools, 1 to 10This campus against public high schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
6.2this school

6.2 on a one-to-ten scale; the Washington County Public Schools median is 6.4.

#785 of 1,363 schools in Maryland · Washington County Public Schools: 9 high schools rated, median 6.4

The brief

A Washington County Public Schools high school where students score 7 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 785 of 1,363 schools in Maryland and 30 of 42 in Washington County Public Schools.

Smithsburg High is listed in Washington 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.

Math21%6 points below the Maryland average of 27%308 students tested · 2026 MCAP
Reading75%23 points above the Maryland average of 52%215 students tested · 2026 MCAP
Proficiency has fallen 19 points since 2021, to 48% in 2026, across a 18-year record (2009–2026).2026 MCAP; 30 test records from MD state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
4.4
25% of the rating
Academics
8.2
25% of the rating
College Readiness
8.1
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
2.9
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 · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 70% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 82% (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 21783; 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.
Smithsburg High and the 20 nearest high schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$96,055
Median home value
$330,100
Median rent
$1,060/mo
College educated
21.3%
Homeownership
78.1%
Poverty rate
8%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 21783; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
40
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
18
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
400/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Smithsburg. 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 (Smithsburg), 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

AP and IB
4 AP courses
23.6% participation · state average 3.1 AP courses · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Athletics
17 sports
8 boys' · 9 girls' · 25 teams (incl. JV) · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Advanced STEM courses
5 of 5
Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
48.5%
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 district peers, best rated first.
  1. 6.8Compare →
  2. Clear Spring Highsame district
    6.4Compare →
  3. Smithsburg Highthis school
    6.2
No grade-compatible school using the same rating model is available within 5 miles, so these are two recorded peers in Washington County Public Schools, best rated first, and two rate higher than Smithsburg High.Public-school ratings. Same-district campuses. A district label is not attendance eligibility; 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.

The record

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

Questions families ask

What grades does Smithsburg High serve?

Smithsburg High serves students in grades 9th through 12th.

How many students attend Smithsburg High?

Smithsburg High has an enrollment of approximately 776 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Smithsburg High?

The student-teacher ratio at Smithsburg High is 19.4:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Smithsburg High rank in MD?

Smithsburg High ranks #785 of 1,363 schools in MD.

What is Smithsburg High's MySchoolScout rating?

Smithsburg High has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.2 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 Smithsburg High?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Smithsburg High has 70% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 82% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Smithsburg High a charter school?

No, Smithsburg High is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Smithsburg High a Title I school?

No, Smithsburg High is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Smithsburg High?

48.5% of students at Smithsburg High 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
9th – 12th
Enrollment
776
Student-teacher ratio
19.4:1
Teachers (FTE)
40
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Midsize Suburb
County
Washington County
4-year graduation
95%+
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#30 of 42
Schools in district
43
District spending per student
$17,937
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
13.3%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 21783)
9,881
Area average commute
32.9 min
Area median age
42.1

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.