How equitable is school funding in Maryland?

The average funding equity score for Maryland school districts is 52 out of 100, compared to the national average of 49. This score considers per-pupil spending, need-adjusted spending, funding source diversity, and student-teacher ratios.

What does the equity score measure?

The equity score (0-100) measures four dimensions: per-pupil spending level, need-adjusted spending (rewarding districts that spend more where poverty is higher), funding diversity (less reliance on local property taxes), and resource access (lower student-teacher ratios).

School Funding Equity in Maryland

Reviewed by PlainSchools Editorial, K12 Schools Editorial Team · June 4, 2026

24 districts ranked by equity score — how equitably is school funding distributed? Equity is computed from NCES F-33 school finance data covering districts in all 50 states. See our methodology.

State Avg Score

National Avg Score

Highly Equitable (70+)

Low Equity (<30)

#	District	Enrollment	$/Pupil	Free Lunch	Local Rev %	Score
1	Kent County Public Schools	1,751	$53,203	69.9%	20.2%	96
2	Somerset County Public Schools	2,773	$26,863	69.9%	16.7%	93
3	Garrett County Public Schools	3,500	$30,061	38.7%	29.0%	83
4	Dorchester County Public Schools	4,523	$25,193	100.0%	19.8%	77
5	Queen Anne's County Public Schools	7,387	$31,389	32.7%	28.4%	75
6	Wicomico County Public Schools	14,900	$20,295	53.8%	19.7%	73
7	Caroline County Public Schools	5,667	$20,319	64.0%	19.1%	70
8	Allegany County Public Schools	8,181	$18,760	59.1%	22.8%	61
9	Worcester County Public Schools	6,841	$23,159	53.2%	67.9%	61
10	Baltimore City Public Schools	75,995	$23,862	73.8%	33.3%	60
11	Prince George's County Public Schools	131,133	$21,751	64.0%	36.8%	59
12	Calvert County Public Schools	15,461	$22,994	25.0%	39.7%	47
13	Montgomery County Public Schools	160,554	$20,473	41.6%	66.0%	46
14	Howard County Public Schools	57,676	$20,893	27.2%	62.7%	46
15	Anne Arundel County Public Schools	84,452	$19,959	40.5%	56.4%	43
16	Cecil County Public Schools	15,047	$18,173	50.4%	37.4%	39
17	Charles County Public Schools	27,598	$19,839	42.6%	45.0%	36
18	Baltimore County Public Schools	111,082	$18,242	49.2%	47.3%	34
19	Carroll County Public Schools	25,787	$18,751	26.5%	54.2%	34
20	Talbot County Public Schools	4,523	$17,252	51.9%	62.0%	33
21	Washington County Public Schools	22,297	$17,101	50.7%	31.0%	31
22	Harford County Public Schools	38,037	$16,969	38.2%	52.6%	24
23	St. Mary's County Public Schools	17,493	$17,616	39.0%	45.1%	21
24	Frederick County Public Schools	46,899	$16,833	31.4%	50.4%	12

How the Equity Score Works

The equity score (0-100) evaluates four dimensions of school funding fairness:

Per-Pupil Spending (0-25)

Higher spending relative to peers

Need-Adjusted Spending (0-25)

Spending weighted by poverty level — rewards districts that spend more where need is greatest

Funding Diversity (0-25)

Less reliance on local property taxes, more state/federal support

Resource Access (0-25)

Lower student-teacher ratios = more individualized attention

National Equity Rankings → ← Back to Maryland

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.