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Hickory Elementary

Q: Is Hickory Elementary a good school?

Hickory Elementary ranks 146 th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

146^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 83% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Hickory Elementary is a K-5 school in Bel Air, MD, serving 635 students within the Harford County Public Schools district, and it has earned a consistent 4-star rating over the past decade, placing it in the 83rd percentile statewide for the 2025-2026 school year.

What truly sets Hickory Elementary apart is its exceptional effectiveness with students from low socioeconomic backgrounds—ranking 8th out of 546 schools statewide (99th percentile) in this area. This is a remarkable achievement that speaks to the school’s inclusive culture and targeted support systems. While Hickory is a strong school overall, it sits in a cluster of high-performing peers. For instance, Bel Air Elementary (ranked 66th), Churchville Elementary (56th), and Forest Hill Elementary (59th) all rank higher. Hickory’s English Language Arts proficiency is a standout at 71.4%, far exceeding the district average of 61.1%, but its math proficiency (51.4%) is the lowest among these immediate peers, who all post scores over 60%. Additionally, a noticeable dip in 5th-grade math (37.5% proficiency) suggests an area for potential focus.

On the positive side, Hickory has made impressive strides in reducing chronic absenteeism, dropping from 18.5% in 2021-2022 to just 10.5% in 2024-2025—significantly better than the district average of 18.5% and on par with top peers like Churchville (12.0%). The school also spends $17,940 per student, higher than many nearby schools, though its student-teacher ratio of 15.8 is not the lowest (e.g., Prospect Mill Elementary has a ratio of 14.4). Overall, Hickory offers a stable, equitable learning environment with a strong focus on literacy and closing achievement gaps, making it a solid choice for families seeking consistency and inclusivity.

635

Students ?

15.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,940

Per pupil spending ?

24.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2100 Conowingo Rd
Bel Air, MD 21014-1824

(410) 638-4170

District: Harford County Public Schools

Students who attend Hickory Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Southampton Middle
High:	C. Milton Wright High

Racial breakdown:

White:

71.3%

Two or more races:

9.4%

African American:

8.8%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Hickory Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 89th percentile in 2016 → 83rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (59% vs 39% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 17% of Maryland elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school59%

District avg44%

Maryland avg39%

146^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Top 17%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From top 11% (2016) to top 17% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 33Elementary Schools in the Harford County Public Schools

11^th of 25Harford 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	83.4	146 of 864	83.1%	★★★★☆
2025	84.0	144 of 865	83.4%	★★★★☆
2024	83.3	141 of 859	83.6%	★★★★☆
2023	79.6	168 of 855	80.4%	★★★★☆
2022	79.9	171 of 862	80.2%	★★★★☆
2021	64.4	207 of 802	74.2%	★★★★☆
2019	79.4	172 of 853	79.8%	★★★★☆
2018	81.4	157 of 857	81.7%	★★★★☆
2017	88.4	103 of 847	87.8%	★★★★☆
2016	89.3	91 of 845	89.2%	★★★★☆
2015	91.8	69 of 859	92.0%	★★★★★
2014	83.3	105 of 867	87.9%	★★★★☆
2013	79.9	128 of 847	84.9%	★★★★☆
2012	79.3	129 of 857	84.9%	★★★★☆
2011	74.1	193 of 853	77.4%	★★★★☆
2010	73.3	227 of 855	73.5%	★★★★☆
2009	83.6	75 of 850	91.2%	★★★★★
2008	82.1	101 of 838	87.9%	★★★★☆
2007	30.4	614 of 818	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	28.9	615 of 804	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	32.4	591 of 805	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	33.9	588 of 803	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	58.7	219 of 796	72.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	92.1	8 of 546	98.5%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	65.0	193 of 788	75.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	51.3	51 of 136	62.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	49.5	237 of 528	55.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)99th percentile+24 vs school

Male (2021)76th percentile~ school

Female (2021)72nd percentile~ school

Special Education (2021)62nd percentile-12 vs school

White (2021)55th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts71%+20 vs state

Mathematics51%+24 vs state

Science46%+14 vs state

★

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Schools Near Hickory 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 All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hickory Elementary	Public	K-5	2100 Conowingo Rd	Bel Air	21014	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-4170	635	40	15.8	24.9%	453 (71.3%)	56 (8.8%)	43 (6.8%)	23 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (9.4%)	83.4	146^th of 864 public elementary schools	83.1%		84	144^th of 865 public elementary schools	83.4%	2	61.0	57.0	37.5	51.4	73.0	76.6	64.9	71.4	46.4	$17,940	$1,095	$16,846
Forest Lakes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Osborne Pkwy	Forest Hill	21050	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-4262	447	30	14.8	21.3%	357 (79.9%)	25 (5.6%)	31 (6.9%)	12 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.9%)	86.4	125^th of 864 public elementary schools	85.5%		83.3	152^nd of 865 public elementary schools	82.4%	27	76.6	56.8	39.5	54.9	87.2	69.1	67.1	72.5	52.0	$18,990	$897	$18,093
Forest Hill Elementary	Public	K-5	2407 Rocks Rd	Forest Hill	21050	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-4166	451	31	14.3	15.7%	360 (79.8%)	17 (3.8%)	29 (6.4%)	15 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.7%)	92.6	59^th of 864 public elementary schools	93.2%		84.6	141^st of 865 public elementary schools	83.7%	82	77.5	54.3	57.3	62.6	80.3	75.0	80.0	78.3	58.7	$18,918	$951	$17,967
Bel Air Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	30 E Lee St	Bel Air	21014	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-4160	521	32	16.0	31.3%	382 (73.3%)	28 (5.4%)	60 (11.5%)	21 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.8%)	92.1	66^th of 864 public elementary schools	92.4%		92.6	65^th of 865 public elementary schools	92.5%	1	65.9	54.8	68.5	62.9	74.4	78.3	77.5	76.8	60.0	$15,067	$806	$14,261
Red Pump Elementary School	Public	K-5	600 Red Pump Road	Bel Air	21014	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 809-6244	696	46	15.0	19.5%	564 (81.0%)	36 (5.2%)	41 (5.9%)	11 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (6.2%)	87.8	113^th of 864 public elementary schools	86.9%		91	81^st of 865 public elementary schools	90.6%	32	64.9	56.3	53.1	57.8	67.5	75.0	76.6	73.2	47.6	$17,105	$1,045	$16,060
Prospect Mill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	101 Prospect Mill Rd	Bel Air	21015	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-3817	579	40	14.4	33.2%	373 (64.4%)	66 (11.4%)	43 (7.4%)	41 (7.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (9.5%)	78.3	194^th of 864 public elementary schools	77.5%		85	138^th of 865 public elementary schools	84.0%	56	46.3	47.5	38.4	44.2	69.5	69.7	65.9	68.4	48.8	$17,392	$1,265	$16,127
Fountain Green Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	517 Fountain Green Rd	Bel Air	21015	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-4220	443	29	15.1	22.8%	336 (75.8%)	31 (7.0%)	26 (5.9%)	19 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.0%)	83.2	151^st of 864 public elementary schools	82.5%		92.2	72^nd of 865 public elementary schools	91.7%	79	41.9	74.7	47.3	54.5	60.8	74.7	74.7	70.5	52.7	$18,613	$1,046	$17,568
Homestead/Wakefield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	900 S Main St	Bel Air	21014	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-4175	1,071	62	17.1	18.2%	743 (69.4%)	62 (5.8%)	104 (9.7%)	80 (7.5%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	78 (7.3%)	88.3	106^th of 864 public elementary schools	87.7%		90.3	88^th of 865 public elementary schools	89.8%	18	67.7	65.2	45.8	59.8	75.4	75.0	63.9	71.6	51.2	$14,421	$944	$13,476
Ring Factory Elementary	Public	K-5	1400 Emmorton Rd	Bel Air	21014	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-4186	541	34	16.0	20.5%	415 (76.7%)	36 (6.7%)	30 (5.5%)	26 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (6.3%)	86.4	124^th of 864 public elementary schools	85.6%		85.9	125^th of 865 public elementary schools	85.5%	1	78.0	54.4	38.7	57.3	82.9	71.8	66.7	73.8	46.7	$15,991	$888	$15,104
Churchville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2935 Level Rd	Churchville	21028	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-3800	364	22	16.6	25.3%	296 (81.3%)	13 (3.6%)	25 (6.9%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.9%)	93	56^th of 864 public elementary schools	93.5%		91	80^th of 865 public elementary schools	90.8%	24	68.2	70.7	50.0	63.2	72.7	82.8	84.5	79.7	65.5	$16,351	$1,062	$15,289

Frequently Asked Questions about Hickory Elementary

Is Hickory Elementary a good school?

Hickory Elementary ranks 146^th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Hickory Elementary?

Students at Hickory Elementary are 71% White, 9% Two or more races, 9% African American, 7% Hispanic, 4% Asian.

How many students attend Hickory Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 635 students attended Hickory Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Hickory Elementary attend?

Students who attend Hickory Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Southampton Middle
High : C. Milton Wright High

What district is Hickory Elementary in?

Harford 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.