The top reported proficiency rate is 71% in English language arts. The lowest is 44% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Hillcrest Elementary
Hillcrest Elementary, a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the Baltimore County Public Schools system, occupies a brick building on Frederick Road on the western edge of Baltimore city, just inside the county line. The school draws from a set of neighborhoods that blend into the suburban fabric of Catonsville and the city line. The enrollment is substantial for an elementary school, spread relatively evenly across the grades from kindergarten to fifth grade, with a smaller pre-kindergarten program.
The student body is diverse. About half the students are white, with Asian students making up the next largest share, followed by Hispanic and Black students, and a small number of students who identify as two or more races. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a rate that is lower than many schools in the broader district. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the profile, so a parent may want to ask the school about those supports directly.
Hillcrest’s state assessment results from the 2024-25 school year, the most recent available, show a pattern that varies by subject and grade level. In English language arts, the school posted strong results in third and fourth grades, with a clear majority of students meeting proficiency standards. Fifth-grade ELA results were lower, with just over half of students reaching that bar, a notable drop from the earlier grades. In math, the school’s third and fourth graders also performed well, with solid proficiency rates. Fifth-grade math results dropped considerably, with fewer than half of students scoring at the proficient level. Fifth-grade science results, measured by the state’s science assessment, were similarly low, with fewer than half of students meeting the standard. The overall one-year snapshot shows a school where younger elementary students perform notably well in reading and math, but where fifth grade across all three tested subjects represents a softer spot. A parent may want to look into what academic supports are in place for older elementary students in math and science. The state testing data only covers a single year, so there is no trend to compare against.
Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and no data on chronic absenteeism or discipline were included in the profile. The comparison tool could not position Hillcrest against other Baltimore County schools because there was only one school in the county group with sufficient data, so no relative academic ranking is available here.
The school sits within Baltimore County Public Schools, a large district that has made several recent changes relevant to families. The district adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum beginning in the 2023-24 school year, organized around the science of reading with an emphasis on phonics and foundational skills. That shift applies to all elementary schools, including Hillcrest. The district also implemented a district-wide cell phone restriction starting in 2024-25, requiring elementary students to keep phones stored and silenced during the school day. The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a multi-year state education reform plan, is bringing increased funding and an expansion of pre-K programming across the district, which may affect Hillcrest’s early childhood offerings over time. Voters approved a bond issue for school safety and security improvements in 2022, funding upgrades like secure entrances and cameras at district schools. Separately, the school board approved boundary changes for several high school feeder systems that took effect in 2025-26; families considering Hillcrest should confirm which middle and high schools their attendance zone feeds into, as these changes do not affect the elementary school itself but do shape the longer pathway.
Baltimore, the city where the school is located, has shifted from heavy industry to a service-oriented economy, with Johns Hopkins Hospital and University as the dominant employers. The city’s population has seen a modest decline in recent years. The housing market in the area around Hillcrest shows home values and rents that are broadly in line with state benchmarks, but a family should look at specific neighborhoods to understand what is available in their price range. The school’s location near the city-county line means that the feel of the surrounding area can shift quickly from denser city blocks to more suburban streets.
Hillcrest Elementary offers a picture of a school with evident academic strengths in the early elementary grades, particularly in reading and math through fourth grade, and a noticeable drop-off in fifth-grade performance that a prospective parent would want to understand more fully. The student body is economically diverse and racially varied, and the school operates within a large district that is in the middle of several curriculum, funding, and policy changes that could shape the classroom experience in the years ahead.
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