5 Surprising Facts About Flower Hill Elementary School (Gaithersburg, MD) That Prove Its Excellence

Flower Hill Elementary School, located in the vibrant community of Gaithersburg, Maryland, has recently cemented its reputation as a leading institution within the competitive Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) district. As of December 2025, the school is not just a place of learning for its 461 students in Pre-K through Grade 5; it is a hub of recognized excellence, diversity, and community-focused education.

The school's commitment to fostering a nurturing and confident educational environment has earned it significant, high-profile recognition in the most recent academic year, proving that its dedicated staff and unique programs are making a profound impact on the student body. The following facts provide an in-depth look at what makes Flower Hill Elementary a standout school right now.

1. Home to the 2025 Mark Mann Excellence and Harmony Award Winner

One of the most significant recent achievements for Flower Hill Elementary School is the recognition of its leadership. Principal Dr. Joshua S. Fine was named the winner of the prestigious 2025 Mark Mann Excellence and Harmony Award.

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This award, presented by Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), honors administrators who demonstrate exceptional leadership in promoting achievement, equity, and human relations within the school community.

Dr. Fine, alongside Assistant Principal Dr. Augustine Kang, has cultivated an environment at the 18425 Flower Hill Way campus that is celebrated for its diversity and commitment to inclusivity.

The award is a testament to the school’s success in creating a positive collaboration between home and school, a core philosophy that ensures every student feels supported and empowered to succeed in their academic journey.

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2. Flower Hill’s Counselor Was Named MCPS Counselor of the Year (2024–2025)

Excellence at Flower Hill extends beyond the principal's office and into the critical area of student support. Lindzy Davis, the Elementary School Counselor, was recognized as the 2024–2025 MCPS Elementary School Counselor of the Year.

This dual recognition—both the Principal and a key student support staff member winning major district awards in the same cycle—is extremely rare and highlights the strength and depth of the school's instructional and administrative teams.

Lindzy Davis, who joined the Flower Hill staff in 2022, is instrumental in maintaining the school's reputation as a diverse community that provides a nurturing environment.

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Her work is a vital component of the school’s success in developing confident, creative, and responsible students, focusing on the whole child and ensuring positive social and emotional development alongside academic growth.

3. A Highly Diverse Student Body with an Excellent Student-Teacher Ratio

Flower Hill Elementary School serves approximately 461 students across Prekindergarten through Grade 5.

The school is known for its highly diverse student population, a hallmark of many schools in the Gaithersburg, MD area. This diversity is actively celebrated, with the school frequently participating in events like Inclusive Schools Week.

Despite the challenges that come with a diverse community that consistently receives new enrollments throughout the year, the school maintains favorable instructional ratios.

Key staff ratios include:

• Overall Student-Teacher Ratio: The ratio is typically cited between 11:1 and 12.6:1, which is highly competitive for a public elementary school.
• Instructional Staff Ratio: The ratio for instructional staff in Kindergarten and Grades 1 to 3 is approximately 16.8, ensuring small class sizes for foundational learning.

4. Academic Performance Shows a Mixed, Yet Improving, Picture

The academic profile of Flower Hill Elementary School is complex, reflecting the challenges and successes of serving a highly diverse community within the Montgomery County Public Schools system.

While some ranking sites rate the school as "above average," others note that overall test scores place the school in the bottom 50% of Maryland schools.

Specific data points highlight areas of focus:

• Science Proficiency: One area identified for improvement is Science, where a low percentage of 5th-grade students were found to be proficient or better, trailing the district average.
• Niche Rating: Niche.com, a popular school ranking platform, lists Flower Hill Elementary as an "above average" public school.

The school’s curriculum focuses on core areas, including Reading/Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies, all part of the required MCPS curriculum.

The emphasis on nurturing a diverse community and the recent awards for leadership and counseling suggest a strong focus on holistic improvement, which often precedes academic gains in schools serving diverse populations.

5. A Strong Presence within the Gaithersburg and MCPS Community

Flower Hill Elementary is not an isolated institution; it is deeply embedded in the Gaithersburg, MD community and the broader Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) network.

The school's official address is 18425 Flower Hill Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20879, making it a central educational resource for families in the surrounding suburban areas.

The school is consistently mentioned in district-wide communications, whether for snow day cancellations or for major awards ceremonies like the one recognizing the 2024-2025 Counselors of the Year.

The administration, led by Dr. Joshua Fine, maintains a high level of transparency and engagement, utilizing platforms like the official MCPS website to communicate program cancellations, staff directories, and curriculum links to the parent community.

This strong, integrated presence ensures that Flower Hill Elementary School benefits from the vast resources and collaborative spirit of the entire Montgomery County Public Schools system, further solidifying its role as a key educational pillar in the Gaithersburg area. The continued recognition of its staff and leadership points toward a very promising and successful trajectory for the school community.