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Damascus watertower sign Damascus MD 2023-10-08 16-46-55Photo: G. Edward Johnson · CC BY 4.0
B+
Schools in Damascus · Montgomery County Public Schools

Damascus’s public schools outscore 72% of Maryland districts

Math proficiency in Damascus’s districts is 34%, above the Maryland average (25%). The grade covers the public school district serving Damascus, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Maryland, not nationally.

#47of 261 Maryland townsK–12Where will my kid go?

From Maryland state tests taken in spring 2022, when 98% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency
54%
▲ 9 pts vs MD 45%
2021–22
Math proficiency
34%
▲ 9 pts vs MD 25%
2021–22
Graduate on time
90%
▲ 4 pts vs MD 86%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$20.1K
▼ 1% vs MD $20.3K
FY2024
Students per teacher
14.1
MD 14.5
Schools in town
6
3,935 students on the public path
In brief

Damascus’s schools, in brief

Against towns with similar incomes

Among the 142 Maryland towns with household incomes within a quarter of Damascus’s, its schools beat 61%, lower than their 72% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Above the state on both counts

Reading proficiency is 54% and math 34% in spring 2022, against 45% and 25% statewide; 90% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 86%. Test scores ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $20,107 per student, against $20,258 across Maryland (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

Four elementary schools, then one middle and one high school

Which elementary school depends on the address; from grade 6 the district’s path is John T. Baker Middle School, then Damascus High. See the path ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Damascus’s grade

A− Test scoresC+ Graduation

B+: better than 72% of Maryland school districts, #47 of 261 Maryland towns. Test scores and graduation are both above the Maryland average; test scores are the stronger of the two.

Maryland school districts we grade (25)Better than 72%
Lower resultsHigher results
Maryland towns with similar household incomes (142)Better than 61%
B+A−A fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 80,358 test results and a graduating class of 12,954 could put Damascus anywhere from B+ to A−. The tests are from spring 2022, when 98% of Damascus’s students in the tested grades sat them (80,290 in math, 80,426 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Damascus, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
PK–54 elementary schoolsDepends on your addressB− to A
6–8John T. Baker Middle SchoolMontgomery County Public SchoolsB+
9–12Damascus HighMontgomery County Public SchoolsA

Damascus’s public schools are run by Montgomery County Public Schools. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

The district

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

Montgomery County Public SchoolsGrades PK–12 · 208 schools · 159,181 students · 14.1 per teacher (MD 14.5)
$20,107MD $20,258 · FY2024
B+
Test scores · 2021–22

Well above the state in reading

Reading54%
State average 45.1% · 80426 students tested
Math34%
State average 24.6% · 80290 students tested

Damascus vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the Maryland towns that share Damascus’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
DamascusB+Montgomery County

Every school in Damascus

6 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Maryland’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

District schools in Damascusby address
Clearspring Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5
A
541 students13:1Rate it →
Lois P. Rockwell Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5
B+
518 students14:1Rate it →
Woodfield Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Gaithersburg
B+
314 students11:1Rate it →
Damascus Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5
B−
331 students11:1Rate it →
John T. Baker Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8
B+
841 students15:1Rate it →
Damascus High
High · Grades 9–12
A
1,390 students16:1Rate it →

Questions about Damascus’s schools

Are Damascus’s schools good?

By Maryland’s own tests, yes: the public schools Damascus children attend outscore 72% of Maryland’s school districts on tests and graduation, a B+ Schools grade, #47 of 261 Maryland towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 61%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Damascus in?

Montgomery County Public Schools, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 159,181 students in 208 schools (2024–25).

Where do Damascus kids go to high school?

Damascus High, with 1,390 students; its own test results earn an A.

What is Damascus’s graduation rate?

90% of the class of 2023 in Montgomery County Public Schools graduated in four years, against 86% across Maryland.

How much does Damascus spend per student?

$20,107 in Montgomery County Public Schools (FY2024), against $20,258 across Maryland. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Damascus families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Damascus → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Maryland. Stars are from neighbors.