The top reported proficiency rate is 71% in English language arts. The lowest is 66% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Forest Hill Elementary
Forest Hill Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in the unincorporated community of Forest Hill, part of Harford County. The school sits within a community that mixes suburban subdivisions with rural land, oriented around the intersection of Maryland Route 24 and Jarrettsville Road. Forest Hill itself lacks a traditional downtown; its civic life centers on a historic church, a former railroad station, and local commercial strips. The broader Harford County Public Schools district has recently undertaken a notable capital project rebuilding Homestead-Wakefield Elementary as a single campus, and a state-mandated attendance and discipline law took effect for the 2024-25 school year across all Maryland districts, which may affect family routines.
The student body is predominantly white, with a much smaller share of Hispanic, Asian, Black, and multiracial students. A relatively modest portion of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which is a lower share than many schools in the region. The school's enrollment is about the size of a typical elementary for this grade band, with roughly the same number of students at each grade level.
State testing results from the 2024-25 school year show a mixed picture. In English language arts, the school posted solid proficiency in third and fourth grade, with the fourth-grade group performing particularly well. Fifth-grade ELA results were also solid but moderately lower. In mathematics, the pattern was more uneven. Third and fourth graders showed proficiency at a rate that is decent, though below the ELA results for those same grades. Fifth-grade math performance fell into a lower range that parents may want to discuss with the school to understand the specific instructional context. Science results for fifth graders, tested by the state's science assessment, came in at a moderate rate that is near the middle of the achievement spectrum for that subject and grade. Only a single year of data is available, so there is no trend information to indicate whether these results are an improvement or decline.
Data on student support programs has gaps. Many schools report the share of students with disabilities or English learners, but that information was not available here. A parent with a child who has an Individualized Education Program or who is learning English may want to ask the school directly about available services and staffing levels. Discipline data and staffing ratios were also not provided.
At the district level, Harford County Public Schools manages this school along with others in the county. Forest Hill Elementary is one of the district's elementary schools and shares the district's broader resources for curriculum, professional development, and operations. The comparison fact-set that would position this school relative to others in Harford County districts was not applicable because there was only one district in the county for this comparison, so no relative ranking by proficiency or attendance is available.
Housing values in the Forest Hill ZIP code are above the state average, which aligns with the area's character as a higher-cost suburban and rural community. Rents are also elevated. This economic context means that families living in the attendance zone tend to have a higher income profile than state norms, which often correlates with the school's relatively low share of students from low-income households. The combination of the school's academic performance, its demographic composition, and the area's housing costs suggests a school that serves a largely middle-to-upper-income suburban population with solid ELA outcomes in the lower grades and a math pattern that deserves a closer look from families whose children may need stronger support in that subject.
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