02-16-2023 Howard Mag - Flipbook - Page 30
E D U CAT I O N & S C H O O L S
From left, Moriah Onyuekwu, Dakota Scott, and Avaya Brooks, preschool graduates of Celebree School of Ellicott City, at a ceremony at Clarks Elioak
Farm.
PHOTO BY JEFFREY F. BILL
T
he Howard County Public School System includes 42 elementary schools,
20 middle schools, 12 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.
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.
Student performance
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
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| Winter 2023 | howardmagazine.com
Public schools at a glance
77 schools
57,325 students
4,774 teachers
$89.33 per pupil expenditure per day
(2022)
$16,080 per pupil per year (2022)
$1.1 billion operating budget in fiscal
2023
courses and college entrance exams. (Due to
the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Report Card results for the 2019-2020 and 20202021 school years have not been published.)
In 2019, more than 5,000 Howard County
students took at least one AP exam. Of those,
about 82% earned a score of 3 or higher, which
often qualifies for college credit. Howard
County seniors in the class of 2020 who took
the SAT exam — which includes sections in
reading, writing and math — averaged 1,195
points out of a possible 1,600, and those who
took the ACT exam averaged 26 points out
of a possible 36, once again besting state and
national averages on both exams.
In 2019, more than a third of the county’s schools received top 5-star ratings in a
comprehensive ranking program required by
the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. About
84% of county schools rated received four or
five stars.
SAT scores and performance data for specific schools can be viewed on the school system’s
website at hcpss.org or at mdreportcard.org.
Early childhood education
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, day care programs and programs