Armistead Gardens Elementary/Middle vs North Bend Elementary/Middle

Armistead Gardens Elementary/Middle holds a 0.7-point overall rating advantage over North Bend Elementary/Middle — 9.0/10 versus 8.3/10 — a gap that reflects meaningfully different positioning within Maryland's school landscape. Armistead Gardens ranks #61 of 1,363 schools statewide, placing it in the top 5%, while North Bend ranks #206 of 1,363, which is still a strong top-15% finish but a clear step back from its crosstown counterpart.

On academic measures, Armistead Gardens Elementary/Middle scores 8.6/10 versus North Bend Elementary/Middle's 8.3/10 — a modest 0.3-point delta that suggests both schools are delivering strong instruction, with Armistead Gardens holding a slight edge. Growth scores are nearly identical: Armistead Gardens earns a 9.9/10 against North Bend's 9.8/10, meaning both schools are exceptional at accelerating student progress over time regardless of where kids start. Parents prioritizing year-over-year learning velocity will find little to separate the two on this dimension.

Armistead Gardens Elementary/Middle is the larger school, serving 767 students compared to North Bend Elementary/Middle's 453. The smaller enrollment at North Bend comes with a trade-off in staffing density: its student-teacher ratio is 14.2:1 versus Armistead Gardens' 12.6:1, meaning Armistead Gardens averages roughly 1.6 fewer students per teacher — a tangible difference for families who value smaller classroom environments. Both schools serve economically similar populations, with North Bend at 78% free/reduced lunch eligibility and Armistead Gardens at 74%, indicating both communities face comparable socioeconomic challenges.

Both Armistead Gardens Elementary/Middle and North Bend Elementary/Middle serve grades PK through 8, so neither school requires a mid-childhood transition to a separate middle school — a logistical and social continuity benefit shared equally. The 8.3-mile distance between them means families in Baltimore's east side are more naturally zoned toward Armistead Gardens, while those on the northwest end are closer to North Bend. Neither serves a specialized magnet program per the available data.