The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in English language arts. The lowest is 10% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Old Post Road Elementary
Old Post Road Elementary sits on the border of Abingdon and Edgewood, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is a regular public school within the Harford County Public Schools district. The school has a large enrollment for an elementary school and is one of three primary schools that are part of the Abingdon area’s attendance zone, feeding into either Edgewood High School or Patterson Mill High School depending on the feeder pattern.
Abingdon itself is a census-designated place with a rural-suburban character. It has a notable population of military families, largely tied to the nearby Aberdeen Proving Ground, a major U.S. Army facility that serves as a dominant employer in the region. Housing in the area is concentrated near the Interstate 95 corridor, and the community is car-dependent, with a park-and-ride lot and bus service providing some public transportation options. The area lacks a traditional downtown core, with civic and commercial life oriented along highway routes; Bel Air acts as the nearest traditional downtown. The housing market reflects this commuter demand. For families looking to rent, the rent-to-income ratio is moderate, while the estimated monthly mortgage payment in the area is higher than the typical rent, a dynamic present in many parts of the country in recent years.
The student body at Old Post Road is diverse. The largest demographic group is Black students, followed by a sizable share of students who identify as White and a substantial proportion of Hispanic students. A significant number of students also identify with two or more races. There are smaller populations of Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A substantial share of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals.
On the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, which is the state’s standardized test, the school’s results show a clear trend. In English language arts, proficiency rates declined across the tested grades, with third graders performing at a higher level than fourth graders, and fifth graders lower still. In mathematics, the proficiency rates were lower across all three tested grades. Fifth-grade science results were also low. Across both math and ELA, the combined school-wide figures were modest. The data represents only one year of testing, so no multi-year trend is available. A parent may want to ask the school about the specific academic supports in place, particularly in math and science, and about how the school’s approach addresses the drop in reading proficiency between grade levels.
The school itself is a standard elementary campus. As a school that serves only grades PK through five, it does not have a graduation rate. Information on the school’s staffing ratios and teacher qualifications was not available, and the district brief did not report any major capital projects or boundary changes specific to this school. The district-wide adoption of the state’s “Keep Students In Class” law will bring changes to how absences and disciplinary actions are handled, which parents of Old Post Road students will begin to experience.
For a family considering this school, the picture is of a large, diverse elementary school in a community shaped by military and commuter life, with a student body that has a high rate of economic disadvantage. The academic performance on state tests is an area of softness relative to what one might find in other county schools, and the declining ELA scores across grade levels warrant a direct conversation with the school’s administration about how the curriculum and interventions are structured. The Abingdon area itself offers proximity to major employment centers and parks, but also a car-dependent and highway-oriented layout that families should be comfortable with.
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