Summary:
The 14 schools in Baltimore zip code 21224 serve a predominantly low-income community, with most institutions spanning pre-kindergarten through 8th grade, and are overwhelmingly part of the Baltimore City Public Schools district, which ranks in the bottom 4th percentile statewide.
The clear standout is Hampstead Hill Academy, the only school in the area to earn a 4-star rating and rank in the 70th percentile statewide. It dramatically outperforms its peers, with 65.6% of students proficient in ELA and 50% in math, compared to district averages of 32.9% and 13.3%, respectively. It also boasts the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (9.7%) and the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (40.09%) in the zip code. In stark contrast, Patterson High School, the largest school with 1,330 students, faces severe challenges: a 67.3% chronic absenteeism rate, a 36.6% dropout rate, and a graduation rate of just 59.3%. The two Baltimore County Public Schools—Colgate Elementary and Berkshire Elementary—have significantly lower chronic absenteeism (averaging 18.2%) than their city counterparts, despite similar poverty levels.
Math proficiency is a universal weakness, with most schools scoring in the single digits. The Claremont School, a small alternative high school, presents a paradox: it spends $79,361 per student with a 2.5:1 student-teacher ratio, yet reports no test scores and still has a 20% dropout rate, suggesting it serves students with extreme needs. Overall, 10 of the 14 schools rank in the bottom 20th percentile statewide, highlighting systemic challenges, though Hampstead Hill Academy proves high performance is achievable within the district.
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