Dorchester County Public Schools
Public school district · Dorchester County · Maryland · NCES district ID 2400300
Dorchester County Public Schools spent $21,340 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 83% of the other Maryland districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $18,114). Its 11 schools enrolled 4,586 students in 2024-25; 59.9% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $26,317 per student, up 23.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 84% (Maryland: 85.8%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Maryland districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Dorchester County Public Schools in enrollment (1,751 to 14,900 students) and Dorchester County Public Schools itself.
Where the money came from
$103,088,000 in revenue: 59.9% state, 22.6% local and 17.5% federal. Total spending including $6,684,000 of capital outlay was $103,278,000, or $22,834 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$61,794,000 60%
- Local$23,277,000 23%
- Federal$18,017,000 17%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 24 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment rose from 2022-23 to 2024-25
4,523 students in 2022-23, 4,608 students in 2023-24, 4,586 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 4,523 | 314.0 | 14.4 |
| 2023-24 | 4,608 | 335.0 | 13.8 |
| 2024-25 | 4,586 | 330.5 | 13.9 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$29,951,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $6,622 per student
Dorchester County Public Schools booked $29,951,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 337 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $88,875 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 68 in 100 Maryland districts with a figure (state median $84,230, 23 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Maryland teacher salary at $75,766 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $21,258,000 | 71.0% |
| Special education | $3,868,000 | 12.9% |
| Vocational | $4,000 | 0.0% |
| Other programs | $4,821,000 | 16.1% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,825 in 2018-19, $5,137 in 2019-20, $4,451 in 2020-21, $6,298 in 2021-22, $6,622 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Dorchester County Public Schools scored proficient or above: 29% in reading and 12% in math, against 45.1% in reading and 24.6% in math across Maryland. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Maryland, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Maryland | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 29% | 45.1% | 2,203 |
| Math | 12% | 24.6% | 2,115 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
84% of the 314 students in Dorchester County Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 85.8% across Maryland. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Maryland | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 84% | 85.8% |
| Students in the class | 314 | 67,829 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
7 elementary schools, 2,345 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maple Elementary School | 483 | 14.6 | 71.6% | Schoolwide program |
| Sandy Hill Elementary | 393 | 11.9 | 75.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Hurlock Elementary School | 391 | 13.5 | 68.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Warwick Elementary School | 346 | 15.0 | 45.1% | Not Title I |
| Choptank Elementary School | 319 | 11.8 | 89.3% | Schoolwide program |
| South Dorchester School | 230 | 14.4 | 44.3% | Not Title I |
| Vienna Elementary School | 183 | 11.8 | 44.3% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 middle schools, 904 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mace's Lane Middle School | 490 | 12.3 | 80.2% | Eligible, no program |
| North Dorchester Middle School | 414 | 13.8 | 55.8% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 high schools, 1,337 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge-South Dorchester High School | 811 | 16.7 | 100.0% | Eligible, no program |
| North Dorchester High School | 526 | 14.8 | 100.0% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Dorchester County Public Schools
- Website: dcps.k12.md.us
- Phone: (410) 228-4747
- Office: 700 Glasgow Street, Cambridge, MD 21613
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Dorchester County Public Schools
- Maryland districts by spending per studentDorchester County Public Schools ranks 5 of 24 Maryland districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($21,340).#5 of 24
- Every school district in MarylandDorchester County Public Schools is the number 20 by size of 25 Maryland districts, with 4,523 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#20 of 25
- Caroline County Public SchoolsThe next larger Maryland district: 5,667 students in fall 2022, $17,385 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,385
- Garrett County Public SchoolsThe next smaller Maryland district: 3,500 students in fall 2022, $19,520 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$19,520
- Compare Dorchester County Public Schools with Caroline County Public SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Cambridge-South Dorchester High School, its largest high school811 students in 2024-25, 16.7 per teacher.811
- Teacher salary spending across MarylandDorchester County Public Schools spent $88,875 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $84,230); spending, not a salary.$88,875
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Dorchester County Public Schools
How many schools and students are in Dorchester County Public Schools?
11 schools were open in 2024-25 (7 elementary, 2 middle, 2 high), enrolling 4,586 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Dorchester County Public Schools spend per student?
$21,340 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Maryland median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $18,114 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $26,317 per student, up 23.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Dorchester County Public Schools' money come from?
$103,088,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 59.9% state, 22.6% local and 17.5% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Dorchester County Public Schools live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,056 of the 4,955 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 21.3%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Dorchester County Public Schools spend on teacher salaries?
$29,951,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $6,622 per student. Divided by the 337 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $88,875 per teacher, more than 68 in 100 Maryland districts (state median $84,230). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Maryland teacher salary at $75,766 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Dorchester County Public Schools do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Dorchester County Public Schools scored proficient or above: 29% in reading and 12% in math, against 45.1% in reading and 24.6% in math across Maryland. Maryland's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Dorchester County Public Schools?
84% of the 314 students in Dorchester County Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 85.8% across Maryland. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Dorchester County Public Schools' NCES district ID?
2400300. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25