Scotts Branch Elementary, Baltimore MD

Original Research by School Decision on Scotts Branch Elementary

Scotts Branch Elementary is a regular public school in Baltimore County, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the Baltimore County Public Schools district, and families considering it should be aware of several district-level shifts. The district recently adopted a new elementary literacy curriculum aligned with the science of reading, and it is implementing the multi-year Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, which is expanding pre-K access and increasing teacher salaries. Boundary changes affecting some high school feeder systems took effect for the 2025-2026 school year, and a new district-wide cell phone policy restricts phone use during instructional time. Voters also approved a bond issue for school security upgrades, including secure entrances and cameras.

The school itself is located in Baltimore, an independent city with a diverse mix of residential neighborhoods. Baltimore has moved from a heavy-industry base to a service-oriented economy, with Johns Hopkins Hospital and University as top employers. The city has many historic districts and a walkable urban fabric, and its population has seen a modest decline in recent years. A major infrastructure project to replace the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge is underway, with completion expected in the near future.

Scotts Branch Elementary serves a student body where a substantial share of students come from low-income households, as indicated by free and reduced-price lunch eligibility. The student population is predominantly Black, with a much smaller share of Hispanic students and very small numbers of White, Asian, and multiracial students. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the provided information.

On state assessments, Scotts Branch Elementary's proficiency rates fell below the midpoint of academic performance. In English language arts, roughly a quarter of students met the state's proficiency bar across third, fourth, and fifth grades. In mathematics, the share of students reaching proficiency was lower, at about a fifth or less per grade, with a notably smaller percentage by fifth grade. In science, very few fifth graders scored at the proficient level. Because only a single year of proficiency data was available for this school, it is not possible to see a trend over time. Parents may want to discuss these results with the school to understand what academic supports are in place.

The school is a regular public school and is not a charter or magnet. It does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Information on course access, staffing ratios, discipline, and attendance was not available in the provided data. Scotts Branch Elementary operates within the broader context of Baltimore County Public Schools, a large district with ongoing changes in curriculum, policy, and funding. Families weighing this school will want to consider the academic performance data alongside the district-level shifts, and look into what specific supports and programs the school offers for its students.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 320%

School 20% · district not reported

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

Grade 419%

School 19% · district not reported

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

Grade 513%

School 13% · district not reported

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

English language arts

Grade 329%

School 29% · district not reported

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 431%

School 31% · district not reported

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 528%

School 28% · district not reported

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

Science

Grade 55%

School 5% · district not reported

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

This schoolBaltimore County 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 3Lower-income11%Higher-income16%5 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income10%Higher-income13%4 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income5%Higher-income27%21 pp gap