operational schools · 2023–24
School district or education agency · NCES 2400420
Howard County Public Schools
Ellicott City, MD
Students57,633
Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.
students in linked records
federal comparable series
per student
District, state and country
How does this district compare?
State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.
MeasureDistrictMDUnited States
Academic standing2025
63rd percentile43rd percentile45th percentileThis district is 20 percentile points higher than the state figure and 18 percentile points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students chronically absent2022–23
19.6%32.4%27.8%This district is 12.8 percentage points lower than the state figure and 8.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Revenue per studentFY 2023
$22,257$22,305$19,509This district is $48 per student lower than the state figure and $2,748 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Spending per studentFY 2023
$19,256$18,887$15,859This district is $369 per student higher than the state figure and $3,397 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Capital outlay per studentFY 2023
$1,395$2,079$1,964This district is $684 per student lower than the state figure and $569 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Equipment spending per studentFY 2023
$132$233$336This district is $101 per student lower than the state figure and $204 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Special-education spending per studentFY 2023
$2,677$2,022$1,793This district is $655 per student higher than the state figure and $884 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Salaries per studentFY 2023
$11,951$11,149$8,742This district is $802 per student higher than the state figure and $3,209 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Benefits per studentFY 2023
$4,678$4,480$3,769This district is $198 per student higher than the state figure and $909 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023
$9,987$7,611$11,715This district is $2,376 per student higher than the state figure and $1,728 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Debt retired per studentFY 2023
$502$487$869This district is $15 per student higher than the state figure and $367 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per teacher2023–24
13:114:115:1This district is 1.0 students per teacher lower than the state figure and 2.0 students per teacher lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per counselor2023–24
287:1310:1376:1This district is 23 students per counselor lower than the state figure and 89 students per counselor lower than the U.S. figure.
District staff per 1,000 students2023–24
153.8144.6138.9This district is 9.2 staff per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 14.9 staff per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24
25.216.118.5This district is 9.1 aides per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 6.7 aides per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24
1.50.90.9This district is 0.6 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 0.6 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.
Regular diplomas among completers2023–24
98.8%98.9%99.0%This district is 0.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24
2.0%3.7%2.6%This district is 1.7 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Pre-K students as a share of enrollment2023–24
2.6%3.5%2.9%This district is 0.9 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.3 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schools
6.8%11.3%12.0%This district is 4.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 5.2 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schools
9.9%11.6%14.0%This district is 1.7 percentage points lower than the state figure and 4.1 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schools
4.3%4.3%3.9%This district is about the same as the state figure and 0.4 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schools
94.8%91.7%95.8%This district is 3.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24
+0.5%+1.0%+0.5%This district is 0.5 percentage points lower than the state figure and about the same as the U.S. figure.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district records
20.9%41.9%50.6%This district is 21.0 percentage points lower than the state figure and 29.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollment
1.8%3.8%4.5%This district is 2.0 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollment
5.0%8.6%9.0%This district is 3.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 4.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollment
4.1%7.5%6.7%This district is 3.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students enrolled in district distance education2021–22 · matched enrollment
2.0%2.1%5.1%This district is 0.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.1 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimate
5.4%10.3%14.4%This district is 4.9 percentage points lower than the state figure and 9.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment · 2023–24
Who attends this district?
Pre-K1,521 students
2.6%Kindergarten–grade 524,516 students
42.5%Grades 6–813,166 students
22.8%Grades 9–1218,430 students
32.0%See enrollment for every grade
Pre-Kindergarten1,521
Kindergarten3,720
Grade 13,889
Grade 24,167
Grade 34,144
Grade 44,260
Grade 54,336
Grade 64,318
Grade 74,457
Grade 84,391
Grade 94,843
Grade 104,673
Grade 114,503
Grade 124,411
Students by race and ethnicity
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.
Early learning · 2023–24
How much public pre-K is reported?
Pre-K students as a share of district enrollment
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2023–24. Enrollment shows children attending district-run public pre-K. It does not show open seats, waitlists, private providers, program hours, eligibility or the cost to families.
Current staffing · 2023–24
How many staff members support students?
See detailed staffing
Pre-K teachers50 FTE
Kindergarten teachers194.5 FTE
Elementary teachers2,327.5 FTE
Secondary teachers1,774.4 FTE
Elementary school counselors87 FTE
Secondary school counselors114 FTE
Instructional coordinators76 FTE
District administrators398.6 FTE
District administrative support28.8 FTE
School administrative support395 FTE
Library and media support61 FTE
Other support staff769.5 FTE
Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.
High-school outcomes · 2023–24
How many students completed school or dropped out?
Regular diplomas among completers
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–12
Final NCES Common Core of Data completer and dropout files, 2023–24. The dropout rate divides the reported annual grades 9–12 dropout count by complete grades 9–12 enrollment. It is not a cohort graduation rate. The diploma share describes credentials among completers and should not be read as a graduation rate.
Graduation · 2022–23
How many students graduated within four years?
Loading the district's official graduation record…
Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot
How many students may need specialized support?
Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.
6.8%Students learning English3,884 students · 76 of 76 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
9.9%Students receiving IDEA special-education services5,684 students · 76 of 76 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
4.3%Students with Section 504 plans2,461 students · 75 of 76 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
1.0%English learners also receiving IDEA services583 students · 76 of 76 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.
Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22
What did the district report about teachers and preschool?
Teacher certification comparison
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.
Community context · 2024
How many school-age children live in poverty?
This Census estimate provides context about families in the district. It does not measure school quality or describe every student enrolled in the district.
U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. The estimate covers related children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty and uses 2024–25 district boundaries.
District geography · 2024–25
What area does this district cover?
NCES publishes a geographic boundary for traditional school districts. Charter agencies and some special-purpose agencies may not have one.
Loading the official district boundary…
Source: NCES EDGE School District Boundaries, school year 2024–25.
Comparable districts
Districts serving a similar student population
These peers are matched using enrollment and available student population measures. Districts in MD receive geographic preference, but a closer national match may appear when it is more comparable. Open any profile for a full comparison.
Jordan DistrictWest Jordan, UT59,145 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Frederick County Public SchoolsFrederick, MD47,681 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Mesa Unified District (4235)Mesa, AZ57,204 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →Forsyth CountyCumming, GA54,984 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →North East IsdSan Antonio, TX57,374 studentsSimilar enrollment, community poverty, English-learner enrollment · View profile →
Academic results · 2025
How do results differ among student groups?
Asian students10,240 assessments
81 out of 100White students11,640 assessments
75 out of 100Students not economically disadvantaged33,050 assessments
71 out of 100Fem18,856 assessments
66 out of 100Mal19,630 assessments
61 out of 100Black students10,488 assessments
40 out of 100Economically disadvantaged students9,685 assessments
32 out of 100Hispanic students5,938 assessments
32 out of 100A score of 50 marks the national 2019 midpoint. Higher numbers indicate stronger results on the comparable Stanford research scale. This is not a state proficiency rate.
District makeup
What kinds of schools are in the district?
School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.
District finances
How is the district funded, and how does it spend?
Sources of funds
Where the money comes from
Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.
Uses of funds
Where the money goes
Annual spending for each enrolled student.
Revenue by source: percentages and dollars
How operating money was used
People costs
Equipment, buildings and debt
Selected federal program revenue
What changed since FY 2022
FY 2022$17,971
→FY 2023$19,256
FY 2022$2,185
→FY 2023$1,395
FY 2022$9,789
→FY 2023$9,987
Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.
Attendance
How has chronic absence changed?
4,052 of 56,279 students
12,340 of 56,004 students
11,001 of 56,225 students
Specialized support and security · 2021–22
What specialized roles were reported?
Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.
Learning opportunities
What do district schools offer?
Algebra I14 reporting schools
93%
Calculus14 reporting schools
86%
Biology14 reporting schools
93%
Chemistry14 reporting schools
93%
Physics14 reporting schools
93%
Computer science14 reporting schools
93%
Advanced Placement14 reporting schools
93%
Dual enrollment14 reporting schools
93%
Gifted programs76 reporting schools
99%
International Baccalaureate14 reporting schools
0%
Athletics14 reporting schools
86%
Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.
Safety and discipline
What was reported across district schools?
1,191Out-of-school suspensions76 reporting schoolsSee schools →74In-school suspensions76 reporting schoolsSee schools →17Law-enforcement referrals76 reporting schoolsSee schools →5School-related arrests76 reporting schoolsSee schools →40Physical restraint10 reporting schoolsSee schools →3Seclusion1 reporting schoolsSee schools →
Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.
Technology and safety · 2021–22
What access and incident data is available?
Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.
Six questions parents ask
What the available data says
Each answer shows its reporting year and opens a deeper comparison. Missing and suppressed results are never shown as zero.
Are students making academic progress?5 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2025Explore and compare →Are students missing too much school?19.6% chronically absent2022–23 · 56,225 students measuredExplore and compare →Is the district improving?Declined overallCompare the earliest and latest available yearsExplore and compare →Where are student-group gaps largest?8 student groups2025 research estimatesExplore and compare →How much does the district spend?$19,256current spending per studentExplore and compare →Does the district have enough support staff?287:1 counselor ratioStudents per counselor in the 2023–24 federal staffing fileExplore and compare →
8 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Four-year graduation rates use 2022–23 EDFacts. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.
See all sources →