Moravia Park Elementary vs Harford Heights Elementary

Moravia Park Elementary holds a 0.5-point edge over Harford Heights Elementary in overall rating — 8.6 versus 8.1 out of 10 — and that gap translates into a meaningful difference in state standing. Moravia Park ranks #137 of 1,363 Maryland schools, placing it in the top 11 percent statewide, while Harford Heights ranks #239 of the same 1,363 schools. Both schools sit just 2.9 miles apart in Baltimore, serve the same grade span of PK through 5, and draw from similarly high-need populations, which makes the comparison unusually direct.

The academic picture splits in an interesting direction. Harford Heights Elementary actually scores higher on academics — 7.8 out of 10 versus Moravia Park Elementary's 7.3 — meaning students there are outperforming peers on tested proficiency measures despite serving a higher-poverty population. Growth scores are nearly identical: Harford Heights earns a 9.9 and Moravia Park earns a 9.8, both exceptional figures that indicate students at each school are advancing faster than expected given their starting points. The overall rating advantage held by Moravia Park likely reflects differences in composite weighting beyond academics and growth alone.

The demographic and resource picture separates the two schools more visibly. Moravia Park Elementary enrolls 629 students compared to Harford Heights Elementary's 404, making Harford Heights roughly 36 percent smaller. That smaller enrollment yields a slightly less favorable student-teacher ratio — 12.6:1 at Harford Heights versus 11.9:1 at Moravia Park, giving Moravia Park students marginally more adult attention per classroom. On economic need, Harford Heights serves a higher share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch: 91 percent versus 84 percent at Moravia Park, a 7-point gap that underscores how strong the academic and growth scores at Harford Heights are in context.

Both schools run full PK–5 programs with no difference in grade coverage. The core distinction for families to weigh is this: Moravia Park offers a larger school community, a slightly better student-teacher ratio, and a higher overall composite rating, while Harford Heights delivers a higher academic proficiency score against a more economically challenged enrollment — a result that points to an exceptionally effective instructional program in a smaller, more intimate setting.