The reported proficiency rate for Science is 19%.
Original Research by School Decision on Havre De Grace High
Havre de Grace High School sits in a small historic city at the mouth of the Susquehanna River, where the Chesapeake Bay begins. The town itself is compact and walkable, with a downtown on the National Register of Historic Places, a restored waterfront promenade, and museums that draw on the city’s maritime past. Schools are woven into the fabric of the community rather than set apart, and Havre de Grace High is one of four public schools within the city limits. Families considering this school are also getting a town with modest population growth, a mix of longtime residents and newer arrivals, and a commute pattern that sends many workers to jobs elsewhere in Harford County or beyond.
The school serves grades nine through twelve and enrolls a moderate-sized student body for a comprehensive high school. About two-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a share that signals a meaningful economic diversity within the building. Racially, the student body is majority white, with a substantial presence of Black students, a smaller but noticeable share of students who identify as two or more races, and smaller groups of Hispanic and Asian students. The specific share of students receiving special education services or classified as English learners was not available in the data reviewed, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.
State assessment results give a mixed picture. In English language arts, a strong majority of students met the state’s proficiency standard, a solid performance for a high school. In mathematics, the share of students reaching proficiency was markedly lower, and that pattern held across both general math and specific algebra assessments. Only a single year of data was available for those subjects, so it is not possible to say whether this represents a trend or a snapshot. A state science assessment from a prior year that tested eighth graders was also reported, but since the school does not serve that grade, that result does not apply to its current students. The school’s graduation rate was not provided in the available records; families looking for that metric should check directly with the school or district.
Program offerings, such as Advanced Placement courses, dual enrollment, or career and technical education pathways, were not listed in the data we examined. That absence may simply reflect incomplete information rather than a lack of options, but a parent researching curriculum breadth will need to follow up with the school to learn what is available.
The housing market in Havre de Grace shows home values near the national average, with rents also broadly in line. The city has a higher-than-average share of adults with a bachelor’s degree or more, and the downtown historic district gives the town a distinctive character. For families, the school’s location means students can walk or bike from many neighborhoods, and the city’s parks, waterfront, and civic anchors are close at hand.
At the district level, a notable capital project is underway: Homestead-Wakefield Elementary in Bel Air is being rebuilt as a single-building campus, a longer-term change that affects families in that part of the county. Statewide, a new law took effect in the 2024–2025 school year that changes how absences and disciplinary actions are handled, so parents across Harford County will see shifts in attendance and behavior policies.
Havre de Grace High offers a familiar pattern for a small-city comprehensive high school: solid English language arts results, math performance that leaves room for growth, and a student body that reflects the economic and racial makeup of its community. Families who value a school embedded in a walkable, historic town with a strong sense of place will find a natural fit here, though they will want to look closely at course offerings and support services to see if the school matches their student’s particular needs.
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