Dorchester County Public Schools operates 11 public schools serving 4,523 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Maryland. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 other, 2 high, 2 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 4,586 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Dorchester County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $25,193 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 19.8% local, 65.2% state, and 15.0% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $100,116 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 77/100, ranked #4 of 24 in Maryland against a state average of 52 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 11 schools offering Advanced Placement (10 AP courses district-wide), a 282.9:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 55.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 43.1% White, 35.0% African American, 13.0% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Cambridge-South Dorchester High School accounts for 17.7% of all Dorchester County Public Schools student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Dorchester County Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Dorchester County Public Schools school enrollment varies 4.4× across entities
Dorchester County Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 183 students (lowest) to 811 students (highest), a spread of 628 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio — most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Dorchester County Public Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 100.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Dorchester County Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 283:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Dorchester County Public Schools is typically wider than the Dorchester County Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
Dorchester County Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 55.6% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
How many schools are in Dorchester County Public Schools?
Dorchester County Public Schools has 11 schools, including 2 high, 2 middle, 7 other. Total enrollment is 4,523 students.
How much does Dorchester County Public Schools spend per student?
Dorchester County Public Schools spends $25,193 per student. The district has an equity score of 77/100, ranking #4 in Maryland.
What is the average teacher salary in Dorchester County Public Schools?
The average teacher salary in Dorchester County Public Schools is $100,116 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Dorchester County Public Schools?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Dorchester County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Dorchester County Public Schools?
Dorchester County Public Schools students are 43.1% White, 35.0% African American, 13.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% Asian, averaged across 11 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Dorchester County Public Schools?
Dorchester County Public Schools has an equity score of 77/100, ranking #4 out of 24 districts in Maryland. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.