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Bellows Spring Elementary

Q: Is Bellows Spring Elementary a good school?

Bellows Spring Elementary ranks 218 th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

218^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 75% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Bellows Spring Elementary in Ellicott City, MD, is a large, above-average school serving 806 students from Pre-K through 5th grade as part of the highly-regarded Howard County Public Schools district. The school has earned a consistent 4-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past decade, placing it in a solid "middle ground" among its neighbors. It stands out as a true math powerhouse, with 54.2% of students proficient in math—12.1 percentage points above the district average and double the state average. However, the school shows a significant split in performance: its English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency of 59.1% lags 6.8 points behind the district, creating a clear area for growth.

Bellows Spring is geographically sandwiched between two very different groups of schools. It significantly outperforms nearby schools with higher poverty rates, such as Hanover Hills Elementary, Ducketts Lane Elementary, and Deep Run Elementary, which all have test scores well below the district average. Yet it falls short of elite 5-star neighbors like Worthington Elementary and Rockburn Elementary, which excel in both math and ELA. The school is particularly effective at serving its low socioeconomic status students, who ranked in the 88th percentile statewide, suggesting strong support systems are closing achievement gaps for this group.

One notable trend is a "5th grade slump" in test scores, where 5th graders fall below the district average in both math and ELA, with ELA proficiency dropping a full 12 points below the district. On a positive note, chronic absenteeism has been cut from a pandemic high of 22.1% to 14.2%, now below the district average. The school also operates efficiently, spending $19,642 per student—less than many nearby schools—while still achieving strong results, especially in math. If Bellows Spring can close its ELA gap, particularly in upper grades, it has the potential to join the elite 5-star tier of its highest-performing neighbors.

806

Students ?

12.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,642

Per pupil spending ?

26.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8125 Old Stockbridge Dr
Ellicott City, MD 21043

(410) 313-5057

District: Howard County Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

34.0%

African American:

31.8%

White:

18.1%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Bellows Spring Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 82nd percentile in 2016 → 75th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (54% vs 39% meeting standards)

✓Above the Maryland median (75th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school54%

District avg53%

Maryland avg39%

218^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Top 25%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From top 18% (2016) to top 25% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

22^nd 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	75.9	218 of 864	74.8%	★★★★☆
2025	80.3	177 of 865	79.5%	★★★★☆
2024	79.1	173 of 859	79.9%	★★★★☆
2023	73.0	219 of 855	74.4%	★★★★☆
2022	82.2	151 of 862	82.5%	★★★★☆
2021	77.7	131 of 802	83.7%	★★★★☆
2019	80.7	160 of 853	81.2%	★★★★☆
2018	79.9	172 of 857	79.9%	★★★★☆
2017	84.2	141 of 847	83.4%	★★★★☆
2016	82.6	152 of 845	82.0%	★★★★☆
2015	80.2	167 of 859	80.6%	★★★★☆
2014	79.2	157 of 867	81.9%	★★★★☆
2013	77.6	158 of 847	81.3%	★★★★☆
2012	73.3	209 of 857	75.6%	★★★★☆
2011	75.9	165 of 853	80.7%	★★★★☆
2010	81.6	104 of 855	87.8%	★★★★☆
2009	80.6	122 of 850	85.6%	★★★★☆
2008	77.5	175 of 838	79.1%	★★★★☆
2007	15.5	715 of 818	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	10.9	731 of 804	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	5.8	763 of 805	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	4.9	762 of 803	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	59.3	115 of 504	77.2%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	39.8	86 of 128	32.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	80.6	112 of 796	85.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	68.5	66 of 546	87.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	68.3	175 of 788	77.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	66.0	157 of 528	70.3%	★★★★☆

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)88th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2021)86th percentile~ school

Male (2021)78th percentile-6 vs school

African American (2021)77th percentile-6 vs school

White (2021)70th percentile-13 vs school

Asian (2021)33rd percentile-51 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts59%+7 vs state

Mathematics54%+27 vs state

Science39%+6 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, May 1, 2019

BSES is an awesome school. I appreciate the diversity, unity and community involvement BSES has taught my kids. The school has sponsored movie night, school plays, and talent shows. It’s an exciting elementary school. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, October 9, 2009

Excellent communication between school and parents. Wonderful teachers. Challenging and meaningful homework assignments. Close Quote

Schools Near Bellows Spring 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 (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 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
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
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
Rockburn Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6145 Montgomery Rd	Elkridge	21075	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5030	649	53	12.2	12.3%	270 (41.6%)	81 (12.5%)	34 (5.2%)	196 (30.2%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	64 (9.9%)	93.4	52^nd of 864 public elementary schools	94.0%		95.6	32^nd of 865 public elementary schools	96.3%	20	70.1	62.7	67.3	66.6	77.6	76.4	72.1	75.3	62.5	$18,033	$796	$17,237
Deep Run Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6925 Old Waterloo Rd	Elkridge	21075	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-5000	638	60	10.6	54.1%	103 (16.1%)	124 (19.4%)	320 (50.2%)	60 (9.4%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (4.1%)	47.9	427^th of 864 public elementary schools	50.6%		47.9	420^th of 865 public elementary schools	51.4%	7	33.7	33.7	26.1	31.3	47.4	43.8	44.8	45.4	35.2	$23,238	$1,842	$21,396
Ilchester Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4981 Ilchester Rd	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2524	482	38	12.6	13.7%	212 (44.0%)	58 (12.0%)	29 (6.0%)	132 (27.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (10.4%)	88.4	101^st of 864 public elementary schools	88.3%		89.9	92^nd of 865 public elementary schools	89.4%	9	58.7	65.3	60.4	61.3	71.2	61.1	73.3	68.9	57.1	$21,779	$1,327	$20,452
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
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
Ducketts Lane Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6501 Ducketts Ln	Elkridge	21075	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-5050	573	54	10.5	60.6%	62 (10.8%)	195 (34.0%)	189 (33.0%)	77 (13.4%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	46 (8.0%)	47.7	430^th of 864 public elementary schools	50.2%		45.3	447^th of 865 public elementary schools	48.3%	17	40.0	26.4	20.0	28.8	52.9	57.0	44.6	51.6	23.5	$22,441	$1,578	$20,863
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
Hanover Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7030 Banbury Drive	Hanover	21076	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-8066	875	71	12.3	43.0%	95 (10.9%)	373 (42.6%)	179 (20.5%)	159 (18.2%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (7.3%)	33.5	541^st of 864 public elementary schools	37.4%		32.2	542^nd of 865 public elementary schools	37.3%	1	34.0	18.0	15.1	23.0	41.8	42.1	37.7	40.6	21.9	$20,506	$1,020	$19,486

Frequently Asked Questions about Bellows Spring Elementary

What district is Bellows Spring Elementary in?

Howard County Public Schools

Is Bellows Spring Elementary a good school?

Bellows Spring Elementary ranks 218^th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Bellows Spring Elementary?

Students at Bellows Spring Elementary are 34% Asian, 32% African American, 18% White, 10% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

How many students attend Bellows Spring Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 806 students attended Bellows Spring 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.