The Best Schools Near Fort Meade, Maryland

Fort Meade Schools

Ratings for Fort Meade-Area Public Schools Can Vary Greatly Depending on Neighborhood

As an active realtor in the Fort Meade, Maryland, area, I get calls and emails all the time from families needing to relocate to this area from all over the world.

Active-duty military personnel and others moving to work at Fort Meade often know nothing about living in the Baltimore/Annapolis/Washington, D.C. triangle, and one of the first questions many ask is about the quality of schools near the military installation.

As with almost any area, school quality in and around Fort Meade can vary greatly depending on neighborhood. Below is a list of the top-ranked public schools in the communities directly surrounding Fort Meade -- namely, Odenton, Severn, Jessup, Hanover, Gambrills, Laurel and Crofton.

For a free list of homes for sale or rent in an individual school district, contact me by phone (443-924-7418) or email (JerryKline@kw.com).

The school ratings provided below are taken from GreatSchools.org, the preeminent online school-rating website. GreatSchools.org compares schools based on test scores and other available data, including student academic growth and college readiness. Greatschools.org also provides school reviews written by parents, teachers, students and caregivers who have had recent, direct experience with their school to share its strengths and weaknesses.

(Note: Greatschools.org profiles, but does not rate, private schools.)

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ (10 out of 10)

Crofton Woods Elementary School (Crofton)

Four Seasons Elementary School (Gambrills)

Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (9 out of 10)

Crofton Elementary School (Crofton)

Nantucket Elementary School (Crofton)

Pershing Hill Elementary School (Fort Meade)

Piney Orchard Elementary School (Odenton)

Ridgeway Elementary School (Severn)

Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8 out of 10)

Bond Mill Elementary School (Laurel)

Brock Bridge Elementary School (Laurel)

Crofton Meadows Elementary School (Crofton)

Gorman Crossing Elementary School (Laurel)

Hammond Elementary School (Laurel)

Jessup Elementary School (Jessup)

Manor View Elementary School (Fort Meade)

Waugh Chapel Elementary School (Odenton)

Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7 out of 10)

Forest Ridge Elementary School (Laurel)

Odenton Elementary School (Odenton)

Severn Elementary School (Severn)

Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (6 out of 10)

Laurel Woods Elementary School (Laurel)

Montpelier Elementary School (Laurel)

Seven Oaks Elementary School (Odenton)

Quarterfield Elementary School (Severn)

Rating: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ (5 out of 10)

Hebron Harman Elementary School (Hanover)

Maryland City Elementary School (Laurel)

Meade Heights Elementary School (Fort Meade)

Scotchtown Hills Elementary School (Laurel)

Rating: ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ (4 out of 10)

Bollman Bridge Elementary School (Jessup)

James H. Harrison Elementary School (Laurel)

Oaklands Elementary School (Laurel)

Van Bokkelen Elementary School (Severn)

Rating: ★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ (3 out of 10)

Deerfield Run Elementary School (Laurel)

Laurel Elementary School (Laurel)

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ (10 out of 10)

Chesapeake Science Point Public Charter School (Hanover) (grades 6-12)

Hammond Middle School (Laurel)

Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (9 out of 10)

Chesapeake Math & IT Academy Public Charter School (Laurel) (grades 6-10)

Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8 out of 10)

Crofton Middle School (Gambrills)

Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (7 out of 10)

Arundel Middle School (Odenton)

Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (6 out of 10)

Murray Hill Middle School (Laurel)

Rating: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ (5 out of 10)

Macarthur Middle School (Fort Meade)

Patuxent Valley Middle School (Jessup)

Rating: ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ (4 out of 10)

Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School (Laurel)

Meade Middle School (Fort Meade)

HIGH SCHOOLS

Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ (10 out of 10)

Chesapeake Science Point Public Charter School (Hanover) (grades 6-12)

Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (9 out of 10)

Chesapeake Math & IT Academy Public Charter School (Laurel) (grades 6-10)

Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8 out of 10)

Arundel High School (Gambrills)

Rating: ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ (4 out of 10)

Laurel High School (Laurel)

Meade High School (Fort Meade)

For more information on the schools listed above -- or schools located further from Fort Meade -- check out the GreatSchools.org website, or contact the following county school boards:

Anne Arundel County Public Schools

Website: http://aacps.org/

Phone: 410-222-5000

Prince Georges County Public Schools

Website: http://www1.pgcps.org/

Phone: 301-952-6000

Howard County Public Schools

Website: http://www.hcpss.org/

Phone: 410 -313-6600

For a free list of homes for sale or rent in an individual school district, contact me by phone (443-924-7418) or email (JerryKline@kw.com).

Jerry Kline is a Realtor with the Odenton, Maryland, office of Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland (1216 Annapolis Rd., Odenton, MD 21113.) For more information on the local real estate market, contact him at (443) 924-7418.

For Rent in Piney Orchard - 830 Estuary Drive - $1,900/mo.

Piney Orchard homes

Enjoy all the great amenities Piney Orchard has to offer in this sparkling clean townhome. Located next to Piney Orchard Elementary School, it's freshly painted and has new flooring. The 1st floor has an open concept, with a kitchen, living room, dining area and half bath.

The 2nd floor has 2 large bedrooms, a full bath and a laundry room. The entire 3rd floor is a Master Suite, with a master bedroom, 2 closets (1 walk-in) and a master bath with soaking tub.

Outside, there's a fenced courtyard with storage shed. The rent is $1,900 per month. Pets considered on a case-by-case basis. Call me (443) -924-7418 for more information!

Piney Orchard Profile: Piney Station

Piney Orchard homes

Piney Station is One of the Largest of 41 Subcommunities Comprising the Odenton, Maryland, Community of Piney Orchard

With 218 homes, Piney Station is one of the largest communities in Piney Orchard -- and one of the most active in terms of real estate transactions.

Of the 218 homes in Piney Station, 37 have sold since the beginning of 2013 and 30 homes have rented. Eleven more homes in Piney Station were listed for sale or rent during that time, only to be subsequently pulled from the market after not finding a renter/buyer. Properties that go unsold or unrented illustrate the importance of pricing homes correctly once a decision has been made to sell or rent.

As shown in the tables below, Piney Station’s real estate activity has varied widely by street.

Piney Orchard homes

For instance, Black Oak Way (10) and Barred Owl Way (8) have led the community in sales the last three years, even though Deerberry Court has more homes. Barred Owl Way (9) and Meandering Way (7) have led the community in the number of rented homes. And Barred Owl way has had five homes fail to sell or rent (at least at their original list price), the most in the community.

It’s interesting that Deerberry Court has more homes than any other street yet ranked fourth out of 8 streets in terms of real estate activity (with 6 total transactions). Residents there seem to want to stay! From a real estate perspective, things have been more quiet on High Brandy Way, Piney Pass Way and Junco Court, although these results may be partially due to the fact there are fewer homes on those streets.

The good news is that, after being walloped by the real estate meltdown of 2008, the number of distressed property sales (short sales and foreclosures) in Piney Station has dropped dramatically over the last three years. In fact, only three of the 37 homes sold during that time were distressed properties.

A few other interesting notes about recent Piney Station real estate activity:

* the highest sale price fetched by a Piney Station home during the period was $399,999 for 2550 Junco Court in June 2014;

* the lowest price paid for a Piney Station home was $290,000 for 2519 Black Oak Way in July 2015;

* the highest amount of closing cost help (“subsidy”) paid by a Piney Station home seller was $11,600 for 2512 Black Oak Way in April 2014; and

* 8 of the 37 Piney Station owners who have sold their homes since the beginning of 2013 paid the buyers no closing cost assistance at all.

Jerry Kline is a Realtor with the Odenton, Maryland, office of Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland (1216 Annapolis Rd., Odenton, MD 21113.) For more information on the local real estate market, contact him at (443) 924-7418.

5 Odenton Single-Family Rentals Available Right Now

Need the space and privacy of a single family home, but not in the market to buy? Check out these five single family rental homes currently available right here in Odenton:  

1246A Breitwert Avenue (Bonaventure)

Homes for rent in Odenton

Monthly Rent: $2,000

No. Bedrooms: 3

No. Bathrooms: 2.5

Garage: No

Basement: Yes

Approximate Square Feet: 1,681

510 Oakton Road (Bonaventure)

Homes for rent in Odenton

Monthly Rent: $2,300

No. Bedrooms: 4

No. Bathrooms: 3

Garage: No

Basement: Yes

Approximate Square Feet: 1,280

2404 Almhouse Drive (Seven Oaks)

Homes for rent in Odenton

Monthly Rent: $2,750

No. Bedrooms: 4

No. Bathrooms: 3 Full, 2 Half

Garage: 1 car

Basement: Yes

Approximate Square Feet: 2,192

8502 Summershade Drive (Piney Orchard)

Homes for rent in Odenton

Monthly Rent: $3,500

No. Bedrooms: 5

No. Bathrooms: 3.5

Garage: 2 cars

Basement: Yes

Approximate Square Feet: 3,390

700 Thornwood Drive (Piney Orchard)

Homes for rent in Odenton

Monthly Rent: $3,500

No. Bedrooms: 5

No. Bathrooms: 3.5

Garage: 2 cars

Basement: Yes

Approximate Square Feet: 3,424

For more information on these rental properties, click here:

http://mrislistings.mris.com/Matrix/Public/Portal.aspx?k=4021770XPX7X&p=DE-323776375-453

Jerry Kline is a Realtor with the Odenton, Maryland, office of Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland (1216 Annapolis Rd., Odenton, MD 21113.) For more information on the local real estate market, contact him at (443) 924-7418.

Odenton’s Seven Oaks: Home Sales Down 40 Percent from Last Year

Seven Oaks homes for sale

Year-to-Date Figures Show Odenton Housing Market Flourishing Even as Seven Oaks Sales Lag

Sales of residential properties in the Odenton community of Seven Oaks were down 40 percent for the first three months of 2016, even while home sales in the rest of Odenton were up sharply.

Figures recently released by RealEstate Business Intelligence (RBI) show that 18 homes sold in Seven Oaks through March of this year while 30 homes sold during the same period in 2015.

Sales of detached, single family homes in Seven Oaks were down 57 percent from last year, while sales of townhomes, duplexes and condominiums in the community were down 35 percent.

In contrast, in Odenton as a whole, sales were very strong (http://jerryklinerealtor.com/odenton-home-sales-explode-march/). The number of homes sold in Odenton in March (49) rose 53 percent over the same period last year, while the median price of a home sold in Odenton rose 7.6 percent. The average number of days it took to sell an Odenton home in March dropped 10 percent from March 2015, to 70 days.

It’s unclear why home sales in Seven Oaks are not tracking more directly with those of Odenton as a whole. It is one of several popular residential communities surrounding the burgeoning Fort Meade military complex.

RBI data show that availability of Seven Oaks homes is not a problem -- the number of homes actively listed for sale in the community in March 2016 (21) is roughly the same as it was in March 2015 (18). But those homes are not selling as briskly as last year.

Not all news for Seven Oaks home sellers was bad, however. The median price of a home sold in the community so far this year increased 2.3 percent over last year. Also, the amount of time needed to sell a home in Seven Oaks dropped significantly over last year, from 79 days to 41 days.

Jerry Kline is a Realtor with the Odenton, Maryland, office of Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland (1216 Annapolis Rd., Odenton, MD 21113.) For more information on the local real estate market, contact him at (443) 924-7418.

Gambrills Home Sales: It’s a Strong Market for Sellers

Gambrills Home Sales

Sales Last Month Up 150 Percent Over March 2015; Median Price Up 36 Percent

Home sellers in Gambrills, Maryland, enjoyed a very strong month of buyer activity last month as the median price of a Gambrills home jumped 36 percent from March 2015.

Numbers compiled by RealEstate Business Intelligence (RBI) show that buyers of Gambrills homes gobbled up the properties 40 percent faster than in March 2015. The average time needed to sell a Gambrills home dropped from 134 days to 81 days, year over year.

The number of homes sold in Gambrills last month – 15 -- far outpaced sales in March 2015 (6), an increase of 150 percent. The rise was due to a strong jump in the number of detached homes that were sold (13). Four such homes sold in March 2015.

The median price of a Gambrills home last month rose to $570,000.

The robust home sales figures for Gambrills mirror those of other Fort Meade-area communities, including Odenton. The number of homes sold in Odenton in March (49) rose 53 percent over the same period last year, while the median price of a home sold in Odenton rose 7.6 percent (http://jerryklinerealtor.com/odenton-home-sales-explode-march/).

Jerry Kline is a Realtor with the Odenton, Maryland, office of Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland (1216 Annapolis Rd., Odenton, MD 21113.) For more information on the local real estate market, contact him at (443) 924-7418.

Piney Orchard Townhomes: Are End Units Worth More?

Piney Orchard homes

Yes. $5,499 more, on average.

Since the beginning of 2015, 120 townhomes have sold in the Piney Orchard section of Odenton, Maryland. According to Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS), the local multiple listing service, 88 of those homes were “interior” units, and 32 were “end” units.

The average sale price of the interior townhomes sold in Piney Orchard during that time was $330,864. The average Piney Orchard end-unit townhome sold for $336,363. That’s a difference of $5,499.

Why would that be?

Many buyers prefer end units to interior units when purchasing a townhome. Among the reasons:

- end units offer more privacy and serenity, because they have only one adjacent neighbor;

- end units often have larger interiors in terms of total square feet;

- with windows on three sides, end units usually allow more natural light inside;

- with a yard on three sides, they offer more outside space to spread out; and

- they sometimes offer more architectural interest, inside and out.

Garages usually increase a home’s value. But curiously, the $5,499 premium buyers have paid for Piney Orchard end units since the beginning of 2015 is not because a greater proportion of the end units had garages.

In fact, the opposite is true: 31 percent of the interior townhomes purchased in Piney Orchard since the beginning of 2015 offered a garage, while only 19 percent of end-unit townhomes did.

The simple fact is that if you want to buy an end-unit townhome in Piney Orchard, expect to pay about $5,000 more for it than you would for an interior townhome. Sales data since the beginning of 2015 shows that the added benefits of owning an end unit make them worth more.

Jerry Kline is a Realtor with the Odenton, Maryland, office of Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland (1216 Annapolis Rd., Odenton, MD 21113.) For more information on the local real estate market, contact him at (443) 924-7418.

Piney Orchard Home Sales Rocket Into Spring

Piney Orchard home sales

Sales Last Month Up 83 Percent Over March 2015; Median Price Up 6.3 Percent

Home sales in the Odenton, Maryland, community of Piney Orchard in March soared 83 percent over the same period a year ago, leading a very strong spring housing market in the greater Fort Meade, Maryland, area.

Numbers released by RealEstate Business Intelligence (RBI) show that the median price of homes sold in Piney Orchard last month jumped 6.3 percent (from $287,000 to $305,000) from March 2015. Twenty two homes sold in Piney Orchard last month, compared to 12 homes sold in March 2015.

- 12 three-bedroom townhomes sold for an average price of $339,869;

- 1 four-bedroom townhome sold for $380,000;

- 1 detached, single family home sold for $470,000; and

- 8 condominiums sold for an average price of $238,800.

Given the close proximity of Fort Meade to Piney Orchard and the large number of local homebuyers who are retired and active-duty military personnel, it’s interesting to note that only two of the 22 Piney Orchard homes sold last month were purchased by buyers using VA mortgage financing. Also surprising is that none of the Piney Orchard homebuyers last month used FHA financing – a very popular mortgage option in most places.

Sixteen of the 22 Piney Orchard homes sold last month were purchased using conventional financing, one was bought using cash, and three other homes were purchased using other forms of financing.

Jerry Kline is a Realtor with the Odenton, Maryland, office of Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland (1216 Annapolis Rd., Odenton, MD 21113.) For more information on the local real estate market, contact him at (443) 924-7418.

Keller Williams Realty Odenton (Md.) Office Open for Business!

Current and prospective residents of the Odenton/Ft. Meade area may not realize they have a new first-class, full-service real estate brokerage office right in the heart of the busy Rt. 175 corridor. Located at 1216 Annapolis Rd., in Odenton, the new Keller Williams Flagship office is the perfect place to drop in if you're looking to buy or rent a new home, sell or rent out your current property, or just get some up-to-date information on the local real estate market. The friendly and knowledgable realtors on staff also can help explain the great tax and income benefits of buying local real estate investment properties -- which are so inexpensive right now.

Perched behind a row of bright red & white flags, the new office offers a host of helpful and experienced agents, as well as a full array of Keller Williams Realty home-finding resources and plenty of free parking. Stop in today, or call me, Jerry Kline, at (443) 924-7418 to set an appointment to meet with me there!