02-15-2024 Howard - Flipbook - Page 28
E D U CAT I O N & S C H O O L S
College president Daria Willis greets graduate Megan Amos on stage as she accepts her diploma during the 52nd Annual Commencement for Howard Community
College’s Class of 2023, held at University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena. PHOTO BY BRIAN KRISTA
T
he Howard County Public School
System includes 42 elementary
schools, 20 middle schools, 13
high schools, one school for students
with severe disabilities, one school for
students with behavioral and emotional
issues, and one school for students
enrolled in technical and vocational
programs. Total enrollment, excluding
pre-kindergarten classes, is about 57,325
students.
Guilford Park High School, Howard
County’s thirteenth high school
opened for the 2023-2024 school year.
Constructed as a Green School, it has
forty general classrooms, ten science
rooms and three rooms for technology
education. A Green School is designed
for energy efficiency and conservation to
reduce negative environmental and the
carbon footprint.
A reflection of a diverse community,
the school system enrolls students from
148 countries who speak 117 languages,
and schools offer special programs for
students who are learning English.
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| Winter 2024 | howardmagazine.com
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
AT A GLANCE
78 schools
57,685 students
4,826 teachers
$99.33 per pupil expenditure per
day (2023)
$17,860 per pupil per year (2023)
$1.1 billion operating budget in
fiscal 2024
Find more public school information at hcpss.
org
about 78% earned a score of 3 or higher,
which often qualifies for college credit.
Howard County seniors in the class of
2022 who took the SAT exam — which
includes sections in reading, writing and
math — averaged 1,217 points out of a possible 1,600, and those who took the ACT exam
averaged 25 points out of a possible 36, once
again besting state and national averages on
both exams.
SAT scores and performance data for
specific schools can be viewed on the school
system’s website at hcpss.org or mdreportcard.org.
Student performance
Early childhood education
The county’s public school system is a
leader in the state and consistently posts
some of the highest scores on statewide
assessments in reading and mathematics.
Howard County students also have high
rates of participation in Advanced Placement courses and college entrance exams.
In 2022, more than 4,900 Howard County
students took at least one AP exam. Of those,
Parents of young children have many
resources available to them. Programs vary
in size and type and include parent-operated co-op preschools, private preschools,
programs sponsored by religious organizations, Montessori schools, daycare programs
and programs for children with disabilities.
Information about early childhood
programs and services can be obtained from