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Harford Hills Elementary

Q: Is Harford Hills Elementary a good school?

Harford Hills Elementary ranks 480 th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

480^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 44% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Harford Hills Elementary is a mid-sized school in the Parkville area of Baltimore, MD, serving 373 students from Pre-K through 5th grade as part of the Baltimore County Public Schools district. This school shows a split personality: it is a bright spot in mathematics, consistently outperforming the district average in math for the past four years, but it struggles in English Language Arts (ELA), where proficiency has fallen below both district and state averages. A key differentiator is its exceptional performance with specific student subgroups, particularly African American students and those from low socio-economic backgrounds, who have ranked in the 81st and 76th percentiles statewide, respectively. However, this strength is undermined by a severe chronic absenteeism rate of 34.3%, the highest among comparable nearby schools like Seven Oaks Elementary (18.1%) and Pine Grove Elementary (26.5%).

A fascinating pattern emerges in test scores: 3rd graders perform exceptionally well, with math proficiency above the state average and ELA nearly matching it, but performance drops dramatically by 5th grade, with math proficiency plummeting to just 10.2%—far below the state average of 30.2%. This "3rd grade peak and 5th grade cliff" suggests potential issues with curriculum alignment or instructional quality in the upper elementary grades. Nearby Pine Grove Elementary, just 0.87 miles away with a similar demographic profile, significantly outperforms Harford Hills in nearly every metric (40.4% vs. 25% math proficiency), highlighting that the school's challenges are not solely due to its student population. Meanwhile, Cromwell Valley Elementary Regional Magnet (2.4 miles away) sets a high bar with 58.7% math and 75% ELA proficiency, making Harford Hills' decline in upper grades even more stark.

Spending per student at Harford Hills ($18,175) is in line with higher-performing peers like Seven Oaks Elementary ($18,126) and Pine Grove Elementary ($19,397), and lower than lower-performing schools like Pleasant Plains Elementary ($20,133) and Halstead Academy ($20,164). This suggests the school's performance issues are not due to a lack of funding, but rather how resources are allocated, the effectiveness of instruction in upper grades, and the severe absenteeism crisis. Harford Hills has the potential to improve significantly by addressing its attendance problem and focusing on instructional continuity from 3rd to 5th grade.

373

Students ?

15.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,175

Per pupil spending ?

59%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8902 Old Harford Rd
Baltimore, MD 21234-2646

(410) 887-5236

District: Baltimore County Public Schools

Students who attend Harford Hills Elementary usually attend:

Middle:

Pine Grove Middle

Racial breakdown:

African American:

35.7%

White:

34.3%

Hispanic:

16.1%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 69th percentile in 2016 → 44th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (33% vs 39% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 25 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school33%

District avg34%

Maryland avg39%

480^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 44%▼ down 24 pts since 2016

From top 31% (2016) to bottom 44% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

59^th of 108Elementary Schools in the Baltimore County Public Schools

18^th of 25Baltimore 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	39.6	480 of 864	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.8	535 of 865	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.5	491 of 859	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.7	392 of 855	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.0	341 of 862	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.3	320 of 802	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.1	422 of 853	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.7	287 of 857	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	59.3	312 of 847	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	67.6	266 of 845	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	62.4	296 of 859	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	61.3	383 of 867	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	54.0	429 of 847	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	61.0	387 of 857	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	64.4	325 of 853	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	64.7	341 of 855	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	51.9	473 of 850	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	39.1	586 of 838	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	43.6	508 of 818	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	63.9	317 of 804	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2005	57.4	381 of 805	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2004	56.0	419 of 803	47.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	64.0	95 of 504	81.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	37.3	405 of 796	49.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	57.9	130 of 546	76.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	49.7	282 of 788	64.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	25.8	382 of 528	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2021)81st percentile+21 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)76th percentile+16 vs school

Male (2021)64th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2021)49th percentile-11 vs school

White (2021)28th percentile-32 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts43%-9 vs state

Science26%-6 vs state

Mathematics25%~ state avg

5.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Very friendly atmosphere. All faculty seem to care about my child. A true neighborhood school. The administration is open to parental input and seem to truly want the best for our school. Close Quote

Schools Near Harford Hills 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 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	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 Science 5th Grade	MCAP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Harford Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8902 Old Harford Rd	Baltimore	21234	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 887-5236	373	23	15.9	59.0%	128 (34.3%)	133 (35.7%)	60 (16.1%)	25 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (7.2%)	39.6	480^th of 864 public elementary schools	44.4%		32.8	535^th of 865 public elementary schools	38.2%	55	43.8	24.5	10.2				25.0	47.9	41.2	41.0				43.1	26.2		$18,175	$1,437	$16,738
Pine Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2701 Summit Ave	Baltimore	21234	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 887-5267	418	32	13.1	48.6%	142 (34.0%)	156 (37.3%)	42 (10.0%)	42 (10.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (8.4%)	64.9	286^th of 864 public elementary schools	66.9%		58.2	351^st of 865 public elementary schools	59.4%	65	40.0	42.6	38.5				40.4	55.4	61.8	44.6				54.0	44.6		$19,397	$1,691	$17,707
Carney Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3131 E Joppa Rd	Baltimore	21234	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-5228	524	35	14.8	70.8%	115 (21.9%)	297 (56.7%)	38 (7.3%)	37 (7.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (6.7%)	33	545^th of 864 public elementary schools	36.9%		29.1	561^st of 865 public elementary schools	35.1%	16	24.3	14.4	19.6				19.1	40.5	43.8	38.7				40.9	24.1		$20,631	$3,219	$17,413
Oakleigh Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1900 White Oak Ave	Baltimore	21234	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-5238	452	34	13.1	73.5%	47 (10.4%)	244 (54.0%)	110 (24.3%)	22 (4.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.2%)	26.6	611^th of 864 public elementary schools	29.3%		23.5	633^rd of 865 public elementary schools	26.8%	22	24.6	15.9	19.4				19.8	34.5	29.0	38.2				33.8	19.7		$20,697	$2,670	$18,027
White Oak School	Public	PK, KG-5	8401 Leefield Rd	Parkville	21234	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 887-5378	60	37	1.6	71.7%	22 (36.7%)	26 (43.3%)	4 (6.7%)	3 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (8.3%)								(n/a)	18.2						8.3	9.1						4.4
Villa Cresta Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2600 Rader Ave	Baltimore	21234	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 887-5275	609	42	14.6	52.9%	212 (34.8%)	200 (32.8%)	118 (19.4%)	18 (3.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	58 (9.5%)	49.6	414^th of 864 public elementary schools	52.1%		42.7	467^th of 865 public elementary schools	46.0%	53	40.4	27.5	29.1				32.4	46.5	41.1	48.5				45.5	35.6		$18,867	$1,392	$17,476
Pleasant Plains Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8300 Pleasant Plains Rd	Towson	21286	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(443) 809-3549	575	35	16.6	70.1%	70 (12.2%)	280 (48.7%)	173 (30.1%)	8 (1.4%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.4%)	21.4	664^th of 864 public elementary schools	23.1%		19.2	696^th of 865 public elementary schools	19.5%	32	29.2	14.9	11.3				18.5	34.8	17.6	28.9				27.7	17.3		$20,133	$2,461	$17,672
Woodhome Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	7300 Moyer Avenue	Baltimore	21234	Baltimore city	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	661^st of 864 public elementary schools	23.5%		22	664^th of 865 public elementary schools	23.2%	3	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
Cromwell Valley Elementary Regional Magnet	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	825 Providence Rd	Baltimore	21286	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(410) 887-4888	395	25	16.1	31.4%	131 (33.2%)	172 (43.5%)	35 (8.9%)	31 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.6%)	88.6	100^th of 864 public elementary schools	88.4%		89.9	91^st of 865 public elementary schools	89.5%	9	58.9	65.5	51.7				58.7	62.5	82.8	79.3				75.0	54.4		$19,463	$1,377	$18,085
Halstead Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	1111 Halstead Rd	Baltimore	21234	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 887-3210	489	30	16.1	78.5%	14 (2.9%)	372 (76.1%)	84 (17.2%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.7%)	13.9	764^th of 864 public elementary schools	11.6%		11.9	810^th of 865 public elementary schools	6.4%	46	25.4	13.8	7.0				14.9	27.1	15.4	11.3				17.4	12.7		$20,164	$2,703	$17,461

Frequently Asked Questions about Harford Hills Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Harford Hills Elementary?

Students at Harford Hills Elementary are 36% African American, 34% White, 16% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 7% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Harford Hills Elementary attend?

Students who attend Harford Hills Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Pine Grove Middle

Is Harford Hills Elementary a good school?

Harford Hills Elementary ranks 480^th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Harford Hills Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 373 students attended Harford Hills Elementary.

What district is Harford Hills Elementary in?

Baltimore County Public Schools

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Latest Maryland data All new data »

2025–26 MCAP test scoresNewJul 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.