Clay Hill Public Charter School vs Oliver Beach Elementary

Clay Hill Public Charter School and Oliver Beach Elementary sit just two spots apart in Maryland's statewide rankings — #31 and #33 respectively out of 1,363 schools — and both carry an overall rating of 9.2/10. At that elevation in the state distribution, the gap between them is genuinely narrow, but the composition of those ratings tells a more differentiated story.

Academically, Oliver Beach Elementary holds the stronger position, scoring 9.3/10 versus Clay Hill Public Charter School's 8.1/10 — a 1.2-point delta that translates to meaningfully higher current proficiency levels. Clay Hill flips the advantage on growth, earning a perfect 10.0/10 compared to Oliver Beach Elementary's 9.5/10. Clay Hill's growth score suggests its students are gaining ground at an exceptional rate relative to their starting points, while Oliver Beach's students are performing at higher absolute levels. Which dimension matters more depends entirely on where a family's child enters.

Clay Hill Public Charter School enrolls 293 students against Oliver Beach Elementary's 149, making Oliver Beach roughly half the size — a significant structural difference for families who prioritize smaller-school environments. Clay Hill's student-teacher ratio is slightly tighter at 12.7:1 versus 13.5:1 at Oliver Beach. The free and reduced lunch populations diverge more sharply: 61% of Clay Hill students qualify versus 43% at Oliver Beach Elementary, indicating Clay Hill serves a higher share of economically disadvantaged families.

Clay Hill Public Charter School operates as a charter serving grades KG–05, while Oliver Beach Elementary is a traditional public school that adds pre-kindergarten, covering PK–05. That pre-K availability at Oliver Beach is a concrete program difference for families with four-year-olds who want to keep a child in one building from the start. The 11.3 miles separating the two campuses within Baltimore means geography, commute logistics, and neighborhood ties will factor meaningfully into any final decision.