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Phelps Luck Elementary

Q: Is Phelps Luck Elementary a good school?

Phelps Luck Elementary ranks 288 th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

288^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 67% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Phelps Luck Elementary in Columbia, MD, is a mid-sized school serving 681 students in grades PK through 5 as part of the highly-rated Howard County Public Schools district.

Phelps Luck is on a strong upward trajectory, climbing from the 40th percentile statewide in 2015-2016 to the 67th percentile in 2025-2026. This positive trend sets it apart from nearby schools like Thunder Hill Elementary and Jeffers Hill Elementary, which have remained stable, and Running Brook Elementary, which has declined. A key strength is mathematics, where proficiency (41.4%) nearly matches the district average (42.1%) and far exceeds the state average (27.1%). This is a significant advantage over Jeffers Hill (34%) and Running Brook (22.1%). However, English Language Arts (ELA) remains a persistent challenge, with only 53.1% of students proficient compared to the district average of 65.9%—the largest gap among similar nearby schools. The school also invests heavily, spending $21,395 per student, more than higher-performing neighbors like Waterloo Elementary and Northfield Elementary.

Phelps Luck serves a diverse and economically varied population, with nearly half of its students qualifying for free and reduced lunch. Its chronic absenteeism rate (15.9%) is below the district average (17.4%), indicating effective family engagement. The school's overall upward trend is encouraging, but subgroup data shows it has been highly effective for White and Female students while struggling with students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The clear narrative is that math instruction is a rising strength, while a dedicated focus on literacy is the school's most critical path to continued improvement.

681

Students ?

11.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,395

Per pupil spending ?

46.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5370 Oldstone Ct
Columbia, MD 21045-2457

(410) 313-6886

District: Howard County Public Schools

Students who attend Phelps Luck Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Bonnie Branch Middle
High:	Howard High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

32.9%

White:

27.8%

African American:

24.1%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Phelps Luck Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 40th percentile in 2016 → 67th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (47% vs 39% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 27 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Maryland median (67th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school47%

District avg53%

Maryland avg39%

288^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Top 33%▲ up 26 pts since 2016

From bottom 40% (2016) to top 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

26^th of 42Elementary Schools in the Howard County Public Schools

4^th of 25Howard 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	64.1	288 of 864	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	56.7	358 of 865	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.4	390 of 859	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.3	457 of 855	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.0	391 of 862	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.2	302 of 802	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.0	412 of 853	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	39.4	475 of 857	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	47.9	405 of 847	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	37.3	505 of 845	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	45.8	422 of 859	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	56.4	446 of 867	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	59.9	363 of 847	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	54.7	448 of 857	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2011	40.4	559 of 853	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	51.2	482 of 855	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	41.0	577 of 850	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2008	45.5	533 of 838	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	57.3	389 of 818	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	58.9	362 of 804	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2005	53.8	416 of 805	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2004	33.3	594 of 803	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	51.7	161 of 504	68.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	56.4	238 of 796	70.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	27.0	455 of 546	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	39.1	368 of 788	53.3%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	18.2	46 of 52	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	76.4	105 of 528	80.1%	★★★★☆

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)

White (2021)80th percentile+18 vs school

Female (2021)70th percentile+8 vs school

African American (2021)68th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2021)53rd percentile-9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)17th percentile-46 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)12th percentile-51 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts53%~ state avg

Science43%+10 vs state

Mathematics41%+14 vs state

4.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, August 27, 2018

Mrs. Leader, the principle, is fantastic! I just wish they were better about communicating with parents. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, February 12, 2013

My son goes to PLES and I have always been very satisfied with the education and knowledge he's been getting.
PLES teacher are very professional and knowledgeable about teaching.
KUDOS to the staff and of course the one who is leading them the school principal. Close Quote

Schools Near Phelps Luck 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
Phelps Luck Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5370 Oldstone Ct	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-6886	681	58	11.6	46.5%	189 (27.8%)	164 (24.1%)	224 (32.9%)	54 (7.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (7.2%)	64.1	288^th of 864 public elementary schools	66.7%		56.7	358^th of 865 public elementary schools	58.6%	70	44.5	40.0	38.9	41.4	54.7	50.9	53.7	53.1	42.7	$21,395	$1,428	$19,967
Thunder Hill Elementary	Public	K-5	9357 Mellenbrook Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6922	459	39	11.6	37.7%	106 (23.1%)	144 (31.4%)	97 (21.1%)	73 (15.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (8.1%)	62.6	297^th of 864 public elementary schools	65.6%		65	292^nd of 865 public elementary schools	66.2%	5	48.7	36.0	40.7	41.6	55.1	52.3	45.7	51.0	40.0	$21,048	$1,067	$19,982
Jeffers Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6001 Tamar Dr	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6872	406	35	11.5	44.1%	86 (21.2%)	162 (39.9%)	83 (20.4%)	34 (8.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (9.6%)	55.3	364^th of 864 public elementary schools	57.9%		59.2	342^nd of 865 public elementary schools	60.5%	22	45.0	26.4	32.3	34.0	63.3	50.0	44.6	52.3	32.3	$23,156	$997	$22,159
Talbott Springs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9550 Basket Ring Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-6915	461	46	10.0	45.3%	105 (22.8%)	147 (31.9%)	135 (29.3%)	23 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	49 (10.6%)	62.4	299^th of 864 public elementary schools	65.4%		51.3	395^th of 865 public elementary schools	54.3%	96	58.1	28.8	37.1	41.5	54.8	45.8	56.5	52.5	37.1	$24,018	$1,692	$22,326
Waterloo Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5940 Waterloo Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5014	666	52	12.8	32.1%	215 (32.3%)	201 (30.2%)	94 (14.1%)	96 (14.4%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	56 (8.4%)	88.3	107^th of 864 public elementary schools	87.6%		86.6	115^th of 865 public elementary schools	86.7%	8	66.7	53.4	58.8	59.9	74.5	68.6	68.7	70.7	51.0	$20,202	$1,076	$19,126
Stevens Forest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6045 Stevens Forest Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-6900	314	33	9.5	59.2%	58 (18.5%)	124 (39.5%)	79 (25.2%)	22 (7.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (9.6%)	67.7	270^th of 864 public elementary schools	68.8%		64.4	297^th of 865 public elementary schools	65.7%	27	46.3	39.2	38.2	40.8	56.1	53.1	56.4	55.2	46.3	$26,356	$1,845	$24,511
Worthington Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4570 Roundhill Rd	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2825	403	34	11.7	11.7%	153 (38.0%)	51 (12.7%)	26 (6.5%)	142 (35.2%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.9%)	97.1	17^th of 864 public elementary schools	98.0%		97.4	11^th of 865 public elementary schools	98.7%	6	82.3	77.4	64.7	74.3	88.5	88.7	79.4	85.2	64.7	$23,142	$885	$22,257
Bellows Spring Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8125 Old Stockbridge Dr	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5057	806	64	12.5	26.3%	146 (18.1%)	256 (31.8%)	79 (9.8%)	274 (34.0%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	45 (5.6%)	75.9	218^th of 864 public elementary schools	74.8%		80.3	177^th of 865 public elementary schools	79.5%	41	57.3	57.9	46.7	54.2	57.7	68.6	49.5	59.1	38.7	$19,642	$925	$18,717
Running Brook Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5215 W Running Brook Rd	Columbia	21044	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-6893	407	43	9.5	52.8%	67 (16.5%)	209 (51.4%)	60 (14.7%)	38 (9.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	30 (7.4%)	33.6	539^th of 864 public elementary schools	37.6%		32.7	537^th of 865 public elementary schools	37.9%	2	36.0	11.8	22.2	22.1	46.0	39.7	35.2	40.1	21.8	$26,760	$1,840	$24,921
Veterans Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4355 Montgomery Road	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-1700	883	68	13.0	27.5%	193 (21.9%)	166 (18.8%)	82 (9.3%)	367 (41.6%)	7 (0.8%)	3 (0.3%)	65 (7.4%)	76.8	209^th of 864 public elementary schools	75.8%		81.8	162^nd of 865 public elementary schools	81.3%	47	58.8	44.5	45.5	49.2	64.1	52.6	60.6	58.9	53.0	$17,839	$979	$16,861

Frequently Asked Questions about Phelps Luck Elementary

What district is Phelps Luck Elementary in?

Howard County Public Schools

Is Phelps Luck Elementary a good school?

Phelps Luck Elementary ranks 288^th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Phelps Luck Elementary attend?

Students who attend Phelps Luck Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bonnie Branch Middle
High : Howard High

What is the racial makeup of Phelps Luck Elementary?

Students at Phelps Luck Elementary are 33% Hispanic, 28% White, 24% African American, 8% Asian, 7% Two or more races.

How many students attend Phelps Luck Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 681 students attended Phelps Luck Elementary.

Rate Phelps Luck 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.