Highlandtown Elementary/middle #237, Baltimore MD

Original Research by School Decision on Highlandtown Elementary/middle #237

Highlandtown Elementary/Middle #237 is a regular public school in Baltimore City Public Schools, serving children from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. It is not a charter school. The building sits on South Eaton Street in the Highlandtown neighborhood, an area of Baltimore that, like much of the city, blends rowhouse blocks, small commercial strips, and a dense urban fabric. Baltimore itself is an independent city with a service-oriented economy anchored by Johns Hopkins Hospital and University; the Inner Harbor, historic districts such as Fell’s Point, and major sports venues are civic landmarks. The city’s population has seen a slight decline in recent years, and a major infrastructure project, the replacement of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, is underway.

The school enrolls a moderate number of students for a pre-K through eighth grade building. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a much smaller share of Black students, and very small numbers of white, Asian, and multiracial students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high concentration of economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the profile, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about those supports and how they are integrated into classrooms.

State testing results are available from the 2024-25 school year for math, English language arts, science, and social studies. Across all tested grades in math, the share of students scoring at the proficient level or above was low. The same pattern held in English language arts, though the figures were somewhat higher than in math. In science, fifth grade had no students reaching proficiency, while eighth grade had a small share. Eighth grade social studies had a larger share of students reaching proficiency than any other subject or grade. Overall, the school’s proficiency index, which averages performance across all tested subjects and grades, placed it in the bottom quartile relative to the other districts in Baltimore city. The comparison set is very small—only two districts—but the numbers are what they are. A parent looking at this school will want to discuss these results with the school and understand what academic interventions or supports are in place.

The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to consider. Data on discipline, staffing, attendance, and chronic absenteeism were not provided in the profile, so a parent should ask about those areas as well. The district itself, Baltimore City Public Schools, did not have any specific parent-relevant changes, such as new boundaries or program launches, that surfaced in the research.

Housing in the area is below the state median value, reflecting the broader Baltimore market where prices are more moderate than in many Maryland suburbs. Rents are moderate as well. A family considering the neighborhood can get a sense of affordability from that, but should look at individual listings and commute patterns.

Highlandtown Elementary/Middle #237 is a neighborhood school serving a high-poverty, predominantly Hispanic population through the middle grades. The academic achievement data is weak across the board, which is the central fact a parent will need to weigh. The school offers a continuous pathway from pre-K through eighth grade, eliminating the need for a transition between elementary and middle school. But the test results are a clear soft spot, and a parent should investigate what targeted help, tutoring, or programming exists to address them.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 38%

School 8% · district not reported

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 44%

School 4% · district not reported

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 52%

School 2% · district not reported

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 63%

School 3% · district not reported

▼ 10 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 71%

School 1% · district not reported

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 814%

School 14% · district not reported

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 39%

School 9% · district not reported

▼ 38 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 415%

School 15% · district not reported

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 512%

School 12% · district not reported

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 610%

School 10% · district not reported

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 722%

School 22% · district not reported

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 825%

School 25% · district not reported

▼ 19 pts below state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 50%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 86%

School 6% · district not reported

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 832%

School 32% · District 17% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

This schoolBaltimore City Public Schools, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income15%Higher-income13%2 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income6%Higher-income20%14 pp gap