Howard County, Maryland is a suburban community of more than 323,000 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 – 57,907*

• Pre-K: 1,330
• Elementary (PreK-5) – 26,650
• Middle (6-8) – 13,409
• High (9-12) – 17,612
• Special School – 236

*Official count from September 30, 2018

Race/Ethnicity FY19

• Asian – 22.4%
• Black/African American – 24.0%
• Hispanic/Latino – 11.3%
• White – 35.8%
• Other – less than or equal to 5.0%
• Two or more races – 6.2%

Students Receiving Special Services FY18

• Free/Reduced Lunch – 22.7%
• Limited English Proficient – 5.7%
• Special Education – 9.6%

Attendance Rate FY18

• All Grades – greater than or equal to 95.0%

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 FY18

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

• K to Grade 1 – GT talent development instruction provided to all students
• Grades 2-5 – 54%
• Grades 6–8 – 56%
• Grades 9–12 – 65%

Graduation Rate FY18: 92.0%*

*4-year adjusted cohort

Class of 2018

• 44 National Merit Finalist scholarships

Per Pupil Expenditure FY19

• $84.83 per day/$15,270 per year

Operating Budget FY19

• $861.9 million

Capital Budget FY19

• $71.8 million

Our Staff*

• 4,802 classroom teachers, 74% of whom hold a master’s degree or above
• Total staff: 8,579

*October 2017-October 2018

Staff Diversity*

• Total Staff – 26%
• New Teachers – 25%
• School Administrators – 29%

*Proportion representing minority groups for the time period of 10/16/17-10/15/18

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%

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.