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Elmwood Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

708^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 865 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 18% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Elmwood Elementary is a PK-5 school in the Overlea area of Baltimore, serving 396 students as part of the Baltimore County Public Schools district, where about 65% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Elmwood has faced persistent academic challenges, ranking in the bottom 20% of Maryland elementary schools for several years. In the 2025-2026 school year, only 13.4% of students were proficient in Math and 27.3% in English Language Arts (ELA)—well below nearby Rossville Elementary (38.8% Math, 57.2% ELA) and Fullerton Elementary (32% Math, 44.7% ELA). Interestingly, McCormick Elementary, located just 0.54 miles away with a higher poverty rate (80.3%), outperformed Elmwood in ELA (34% vs. 27.3%). The key difference? Chronic absenteeism: McCormick has a remarkably low rate of 7.6%, compared to Elmwood’s 19.4%. This suggests that improving attendance may be a more powerful lever for academic growth than simply increasing spending—Elmwood spends $20,446 per student, higher than Rossville’s $16,699, yet achieves far lower results.

There are bright spots. Elmwood’s 4th grade ELA proficiency (35.2%) is its strongest subject and grade, even surpassing Shady Spring Elementary (40.3%) and Red House Run Elementary (42.9%) in that specific area. Most encouraging, chronic absenteeism has dropped dramatically from a crisis-level 42% in 2022-2023 to 19.4% in 2024-2025. While this hasn’t yet translated into major test score gains, it’s a critical foundation. If Elmwood sustains this improvement and continues focusing on instructional quality, it is well-positioned to break its cycle of low ratings in the coming years.

396

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,446

Per pupil spending ?

65.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

531 Dale Ave
Baltimore, MD 21206-1303

(410) 887-5232

District: Baltimore County Public Schools

Students who attend Elmwood Elementary usually attend:

High:

Overlea High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

50.5%

Hispanic:

21.2%

White:

17.7%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 23rd percentile in 2016 → 18th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (20% vs 39% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (18th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school20%

District avg34%

Maryland avg39%

708^th of 865

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 18%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 23% (2016) to bottom 18% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

91^st of 108Elementary Schools in the Baltimore County Public Schools

18^th of 24Baltimore County Public Schools among Maryland districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2026	18.3	708 of 865	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.9	716 of 865	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.2	723 of 859	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.3	711 of 855	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.9	677 of 862	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.1	558 of 802	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	18.1	694 of 853	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.7	717 of 857	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	18.0	688 of 847	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	22.1	653 of 845	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	21.8	670 of 859	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	47.1	540 of 867	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	29.9	653 of 847	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	37.5	609 of 857	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	50.1	480 of 853	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	38.4	607 of 855	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	45.4	536 of 850	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	35.3	618 of 838	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	66.9	283 of 818	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	70.5	257 of 804	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2005	71.3	232 of 805	71.2%	★★★★☆
2004	67.3	295 of 803	63.3%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	36.5	315 of 504	37.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	20.4	632 of 796	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	34.5	377 of 546	31.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	30.5	474 of 788	39.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	33.8	316 of 528	40.2%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

White (2021)40th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2021)40th percentile+9 vs school

African American (2021)38th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)31st percentile~ school

Female (2021)21st percentile-10 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts27%-24 vs state

Science17%-15 vs state

Mathematics13%-14 vs state

3.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, November 15, 2017

We are a military family and our son is finishing his fourth year at Elmwood Elementary School. The school is located in a so-so middle class neighborhood. It is very close to the city/county border which is probably why it has as many challenges as it does.

We often pick up / drop off our son at the front door of the school. We do this to see his interactions with other kids. The school has a strict policy that no child may be left unattended at the school door prior to 0905. Yet 80 percent of the children in front of the door at 0900 are left there by unavailable parents.

The school holds regular awards ceremonies for the children. This positive reinforcement goes a long way in encouraging children to do their best. On average about 40 percent of the seats for family observers are vacant. Now this may sound like a good turn-out, but the majority of the room is allotted for children. So in reality, only 50 percent of the children have someone attending.

The school hosts many after school activities each year. I would say 1 major and 2 minor activities per semester. The major activities usually have about 1/3 of the children showing up. The minor activities are hit or miss. But what is most noticeable, if the activity includes dinner then it is well attended. If it doesn't then it is not.This ties into the location near the city / county line (city kids registered under a relatives address) and also the free/reduced lunch program.

Parent volunteerism at the school is fairly low. Each class usually has 2 or 3 kids whose parents are the regular volunteers. You'll get sporadic help from the other parents.

So there is a common theme here. The parents are generally not involved with their kids scholastic life. School is basically a day care for them. And I get that we all have jobs and other stuff going on. But the lack of effort by parents shows up in absenteeism, test scores, and behavior problems.

The good news is that the administrators, teachers, and special educators generally care about the kids and their well-being. The principal Mr. Hogan, Vice Principal Mrs. Lewis, and counselor Ms. Rowdowski really do a good job considering all the challenges they face. They work hard and advocate for the children. They are accessible and effectively communicate what is happening in the school.

So if you were to just go by the school score, you may think this school is on the verge of being a failed school. But for those of us that are connected to the school, we know that our kids have educators that care about them. Close Quote

Schools Near Elmwood Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAP Mathematics (2026)							MCAP English Language Arts (2026)							MCAP Algebra I (2026)	MCAP Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 6th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Science 5th Grade	MCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Elmwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	531 Dale Ave	Baltimore	21206	Baltimore city	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-5232	396	28	14.1	65.2%	70 (17.7%)	200 (50.5%)	84 (21.2%)	14 (3.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.6%)	18.3	708^th of 865 public elementary schools	18.2%		17.9	716^th of 865 public elementary schools	17.2%	8	14.3	14.3	11.7				13.4	20.6	35.2	27.1				27.3		17.2		$20,446	$2,234	$18,212
McCormick Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5101 Hazelwood Ave	Baltimore	21206	Baltimore city	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-0500	295	21	13.8	80.3%	22 (7.5%)	213 (72.2%)	34 (11.5%)	8 (2.7%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.7%)	23	649^th of 865 public elementary schools	25.0%		12.4	805^th of 865 public elementary schools	6.9%	156	10.3	15.6	20.0				15.4	32.5	32.8	37.5				34.0		12.5		$23,623	$3,301	$20,322
City Neighbors Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	4301 Raspe Avenue	Baltimore	21206	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(410) 325-2627	231	16	14.9	54.1%	54 (23.4%)	173 (74.9%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	38.2	498^th of 865 public elementary schools	42.4%		35.8	508^th of 865 public elementary schools	41.3%	10	16.0	34.8	17.9	3.6	7.4	3.8	13.2	40.0	60.9	39.3	53.6	74.1	35.7	50.3		17.9	7.1	$21,980	$4,222	$17,759
Fullerton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4400 Fullerton Ave	Baltimore	21236	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 887-5234	383	26	14.7	52.2%	121 (31.6%)	144 (37.6%)	70 (18.3%)	9 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (10.2%)	46.8	437^th of 865 public elementary schools	49.5%		54.2	371^st of 865 public elementary schools	57.1%	66	42.6	32.9	20.0				32.0	45.6	42.5	46.2				44.7		30.8		$19,649	$1,863	$17,786
Shady Spring Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8868 Goldenwood Rd	Baltimore	21237	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-0509	375	27	13.8	73.1%	18 (4.8%)	231 (61.6%)	84 (22.4%)	20 (5.3%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.5%)	22	658^th of 865 public elementary schools	23.9%		22.5	651^st of 865 public elementary schools	24.7%	7	19.5	15.6	8.3				13.6	30.0	40.3	33.3				35.1		11.0		$20,699	$2,627	$18,071
Red House Run Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1717 Weyburn Rd	Baltimore	21237	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-0506	694	51	13.6	66.3%	184 (26.5%)	205 (29.5%)	206 (29.7%)	62 (8.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	35 (5.0%)	29.5	581^st of 865 public elementary schools	32.8%		30.2	555^th of 865 public elementary schools	35.8%	26	28.3	17.5	15.0				20.3	34.7	42.9	34.8				37.6		21.4		$20,094	$2,292	$17,802
Glenmount Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	6211 Walther Avenue	Baltimore	21206	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-6366	628	46	13.8	75.2%	18 (2.9%)	529 (84.2%)	62 (9.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (2.7%)	18	711^th of 865 public elementary schools	17.8%		30.3	554^th of 865 public elementary schools	36.0%	157	14.5	7.2	4.8	1.7	7.5	3.5	7.1	36.2	33.3	23.0	40.0	48.8	36.4	36.8		8.2	9.1	$21,762	$4,333	$17,429
Hazelwood Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	4517 Hazelwood Avenue	Baltimore	21206	Baltimore city	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-9098	524	38	13.9	82.4%	8 (1.5%)	445 (84.9%)	54 (10.3%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (2.1%)	13.1	780^th of 865 public elementary schools	9.8%		14	774^th of 865 public elementary schools	10.5%	6	14.0	6.9	10.7	6.9	6.2	4.7	8.1	23.2	20.3	18.2	20.3	40.3	32.3	26.3		12.5	1.5	$25,419	$4,938	$20,481
Woodhome Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	7300 Moyer Avenue	Baltimore	21234	Baltimore County	Baltimore City Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 396-6398	496	26	19.4	73.6%	17 (3.4%)	347 (70.0%)	106 (21.4%)	8 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.6%)	21.6	662^nd of 865 public elementary schools	23.5%		22	664^th of 865 public elementary schools	23.2%	2	28.9	7.0	12.5	17.6	4.6	12.8	13.6	22.7	24.6	25.0	41.2	37.5	42.0	32.7		0.0	12.0	$20,014	$4,246	$15,768
Rossville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7649 Gum Spring Road	Baltimore	21237	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(443) 809-8519	726	47	15.3	59.2%	137 (18.9%)	349 (48.1%)	69 (9.5%)	128 (17.6%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	40 (5.5%)	64	289^th of 865 public elementary schools	66.6%		63.5	304^th of 865 public elementary schools	64.9%	15	51.0	42.3	27.0				38.8	63.1	55.4	54.3				57.2		34.5		$16,699	$1,392	$15,307

Frequently Asked Questions about Elmwood Elementary

What schools do graduates of Elmwood Elementary attend?

Students who attend Elmwood Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Overlea High

What district is Elmwood Elementary in?

Baltimore County Public Schools

Is Elmwood Elementary a good school?

Elmwood Elementary ranks in the bottom 18.2% of Maryland elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Elmwood Elementary?

Students at Elmwood Elementary are 51% African American, 21% Hispanic, 18% White, 7% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

How many students attend Elmwood Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 396 students attended Elmwood Elementary.

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Latest Maryland data All new data »

2025–26 MCAP test scoresJul 28, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCAP test scoresAug 26, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Maryland State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.