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Schools in Zip Code 20723

At a glance

Schools

4,276

Students

Top rankedHammond Elementary139^th of 864 Maryland elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Laurel Woods Elementary up 76 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Laurel Woods Elementary 12.2 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

4★

3★

2★

3 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (private or too few tested students)

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Summary:

Zip code 20723 in Laurel, Maryland, is home to six schools within the highly-rated Howard County Public Schools district, serving students from elementary through middle school with no high schools present.

The standout performer in this area is the "Hammond Cluster," consisting of Hammond Elementary and Hammond Middle. Hammond Elementary ranks in the 84th percentile statewide and is the only elementary school in the zip code to exceed district averages in both math and English Language Arts (ELA). Hammond Middle ranks in the 82nd percentile and has maintained a strong 4-star rating for three consecutive years. In contrast, Laurel Woods Elementary and Forest Ridge Elementary are areas of concern, with Laurel Woods ranking in the 46th percentile and Forest Ridge in the 55th percentile. Both schools struggle with high chronic absenteeism rates (22.8% and 22.3%, respectively) and higher percentages of students receiving free/reduced lunch, which correlates with lower test scores. Gorman Crossing Elementary presents an interesting case, as it has low absenteeism (9.8%) and a relatively low poverty rate, yet its academic performance is only average, with math proficiency just above the district average and ELA proficiency below it.

A key finding is the "middle school math cliff," where both Murray Hill Middle and Hammond Middle show a significant drop in math proficiency compared to their elementary feeders. For instance, 7th-grade math proficiency at Murray Hill Middle is just 9.1%. However, both middle schools excel in advanced coursework, with Murray Hill Middle achieving 54.6% proficiency in Algebra I and Hammond Middle achieving 66.7% in Algebra I and 82.9% in Geometry. Spending per student varies widely, from $16,153 at Hammond Elementary to $22,293 at Murray Hill Middle, but higher spending does not guarantee better outcomes, as the two highest-spending schools are among the lowest-performing. Overall, chronic absenteeism emerges as a powerful predictor of academic success, making it a critical target for improvement in this diverse school community.

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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 Geometry (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 Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Geometry 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
Forest Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9550 Gorman Rd	Laurel	20723	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 880-5950	659	52	12.6	40.8%	87 (13.2%)	282 (42.8%)	145 (22.0%)	101 (15.3%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (0.8%)	36 (5.5%)	52.6	387^th of 864 public elementary schools	55.2%		52.1	388^th of 865 public elementary schools	55.1%	1	38.5	29.2	28.9				31.9	47.9	53.1	52.7				51.4			30.7		$18,100	$851	$17,250
Hammond Elementary	Public	K-5	8110 Aladdin Dr	Laurel	20723	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 880-5890	763	48	15.8	18.6%	300 (39.3%)	190 (24.9%)	76 (10.0%)	132 (17.3%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	62 (8.1%)	84.4	139^th of 864 public elementary schools	83.9%		82.6	156^th of 865 public elementary schools	82.0%	17	69.9	53.5	46.8				56.6	75.2	61.4	63.8				66.8			48.2		$16,153	$795	$15,358
Hammond Middle	Public	6-8	8100 Aladdin Dr	Laurel	20723	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 880-5830	604	41	14.8	16.4%	232 (38.4%)	174 (28.8%)	60 (9.9%)	76 (12.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (9.9%)	82.9	60^th of 339 public middle schools	82.3%		84.9	50^th of 337 public middle schools	85.2%	10				38.1	27.6	11.1	42.7				69.4	74.3	67.5	70.6	66.7	82.9		43.3	$17,343	$742	$16,601
Laurel Woods Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9250 N Laurel Rd	Laurel	20723	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 880-5960	625	51	12.2	58.4%	42 (6.7%)	277 (44.3%)	221 (35.4%)	53 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.1%)	42.4	463^rd of 864 public elementary schools	46.4%		32.4	539^th of 865 public elementary schools	37.7%	76	37.6	24.8	23.6				28.5	33.0	50.5	44.0				42.6			29.4		$22,128	$1,589	$20,539
Murray Hill Middle	Public	6-8	9989 Winter Sun Rd	Laurel	20723	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 880-5897	616	47	13.1	37.3%	70 (11.4%)	246 (39.9%)	151 (24.5%)	116 (18.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (4.9%)	57.5	129^th of 339 public middle schools	61.9%		69.2	98^th of 337 public middle schools	70.9%	31				22.1	9.1	7.8	26.0				48.2	64.3	55.7	55.9	54.6	58.6		32.7	$22,293	$783	$21,510
Gorman Crossing Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9999 Winter Sun Rd	Laurel	20723	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 880-5900	750	59	12.6	21.5%	138 (18.4%)	285 (38.0%)	104 (13.9%)	183 (24.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	38 (5.1%)	72.6	248^th of 864 public elementary schools	71.3%		80.1	181^st of 865 public elementary schools	79.1%	67	55.7	44.4	35.0				44.6	59.4	64.8	61.7				62.1			38.3		$16,929	$779	$16,150
The Julia Brown School	Private, Nonsectarian	PK, KG-3	9450 Madison Ave	Laurel	20723	Howard County		(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(301) 498-0604	105	3	16.3		0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Knowledge Beginnings	Private, Nonsectarian	PK-K	7551 Montpelier Rd	Laurel	20723	Howard County		(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(301) 725-6500	87	1	10.0		5 (5.7%)	5 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Phillips School - Laurel	Private, Nonsectarian	3-12	8920 Whiskey Bottom Rd	Laurel	20723	Howard County		(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(301) 470-1620	67	13	5.1		5 (7.5%)	61 (91.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Cities Near Zip Code 20723

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Laurel	0.81 mi	19	188^th
Jessup	2 mi	4	180^th
Columbia	2.35 mi	23	136^th
Fulton	3.03 mi	4	39^th
Burtonsville	4.28 mi	3	187^th

See the top MD Maryland cities

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.