Howard County, Maryland is a suburban community of over 310,000 situated midway along the Baltimore-Washington corridor. It is a county of contrasts — a blend of old and new, urban and rural, historical and progressive. The county’s borders encompass Ellicott City, one of the country’s oldest towns, and Columbia, a planned community conceived and designed 50 years ago by The Rouse Company.

A great community deserves great schools, and the Howard County Public School System is a recognized source of local pride. The school system consistently ranks among Maryland’s top school districts based on student performance on state assessments. Howard County students score above the national averages on standardized tests.

Read more about us and our graduating students:

• 2017-18 Profile of the HCPSS
• Class of 2018 Profile

Vision

Every student and staff member embraces diversity and possesses the skills, knowledge and confidence to positively influence the larger community.

Mission

HCPSS ensures academic success and social-emotional well-being for each student in an inclusive and nurturing environment that closes opportunity gaps.

Four Overarching Commitments:

• Value: Every HCPSS stakeholder feels happy and rewarded in their roles and takes pride in cultivating the learning community.
• Achieve: An individualized focus supports every person in reaching milestones for success.
• Connect: Students and staff thrive in a safe, nurturing and inclusive culture that embraces diversity.
• Empower: Schools, families and the community are mutually invested in student achievement and well‑being.

Additional Information

77 Schools

• 42 elementary schools
• 20 middle schools
• 12 high schools
• 3 education centers

Total Enrollment – 56,799*

• Pre-K: 1,314
• Elementary (PreK-5) – 24,978
• Middle (6-8) – 13,180
• High (9-12) – 17,233
• Special School – 94

*Official count from September 30, 2017

Race/Ethnicity

• American Indian/Alaskan – 0.2%
• Asian – 21.9%
• Black/African American – 23.6%
• Hawaiian/Pacific Islander – 0.1%
• Hispanic/Latino – 10.7%
• White – 37.3%
• Two or more races – 6.2%

Students Receiving Special Services FY17

• Free/Reduced Lunch – 22.1%
• Limited English Proficient – 5.1%
• Special Education – 8.8%

Attendance Rate FY17

• Elementary – ≥ 96.1%
• Middle – ≥ 96.2%
• High – ≥ 95.3%

ESOL Program FY17

• HCPSS English Learners (EL) represent 100 countries and 82 languages.
• 46% of our ELs are born in the U.S.
• The language most represented by our ELs is Spanish (40%).
• After Spanish, the languages most spoken each represent less than 10% of ELs: Hindi and Telegu (languages of India), Korean, Chinese, Burmese and Urdu.

Gifted and Talented Program FY17

Percentage of students who have participated in a wide variety of Gifted and Talented Education Program offerings:

• K to Grade 5 – 50%
• Grades 6–8 – 55%
• Grades 9–12 – 65%

Graduation Rate FY17: 92.3%*

*4-year adjusted cohort

Class of 2017

• 38 National Merit Finalist scholarships
• 38 National Merit Semi-Finalist nominations
• 171 Commended Scholar nominations

Per Pupil Expenditure FY18

• $82.22 per day/$14,800 per year

Operating Budget FY18

• $819.1 million

Capital Budget FY18

• $65.3 million

Our Staff FY17

• 4,675 classroom teachers, 74% of whom hold a master’s degree or above
• Total staff: 8,435

Staff Race/Ethnicity* FY18

• Asian – 4.1%
• Black/African American – 16.8%
• Hispanic/Latino – 3.0%
• White – 74.9%
• Other – 1.3%

*Total is >100% due to rounding

Our Classrooms

Class Size Targets

• Kindergarten – 1:22
• Grades 1–2 – 1:20
• Grades 3–5 – 1:26
• Middle – 1:21
• High – 1.4:28

Ratio of computers to students: 1:2

Classrooms with Internet access: 100%

Additional information can be found in the 2017-18 Profile of the HCPSS

Equal Opportunity

The Howard County Public School System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy/Girl Scouts and other designated youth groups.

The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:

Equity Assurance Manager
Howard County Public School System
10910 Clarksville Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21042
410-313-6654 (phone)
410-313-1645 (fax)

For further information on notice of non-discrimination, visit http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OCR/contactus.cfm for the address and phone number of the office that serves your area, or call 1-800-421-3481.