North Bend Elementary/Middle vs Clay Hill Public Charter School

Clay Hill Public Charter School holds a meaningful overall rating advantage over North Bend Elementary/Middle — 9.2 versus 8.3 out of 10, a 0.9-point gap — and that separation is even sharper in state rankings: Clay Hill sits at #31 of 1,363 Maryland schools while North Bend ranks #206 of 1,363. For parents prioritizing how each school compares statewide, that 175-position difference is the single most concrete benchmark available.

On academics and growth, the two schools are remarkably close. North Bend Elementary/Middle edges Clay Hill Public Charter School by 0.2 points in academic score (8.3 versus 8.1), and Clay Hill returns the favor on growth with a near-perfect 10.0 against North Bend's already-strong 9.8. Neither school has a meaningful edge in raw learning outcomes — the overall rating gap is driven more by composite weighting than by any one subject-level performance gap.

Clay Hill Public Charter School serves a less economically disadvantaged population: 61% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch compared to 78% at North Bend Elementary/Middle. Clay Hill also offers a lower student-teacher ratio — 12.7:1 versus 14.2:1 — meaning roughly two fewer students per classroom on average. North Bend enrolls 453 students against Clay Hill's 293, so families who prefer a smaller school community will find Clay Hill the tighter-knit environment.

The two schools also differ in structure and grade span. North Bend is a regular public school serving PK through grade 8, meaning a child can stay in one building from pre-kindergarten through middle school. Clay Hill Public Charter School is a charter serving only kindergarten through grade 5, so families must plan for a school transition after fifth grade. The schools sit 8.9 miles apart in Baltimore, making proximity a practical factor for parents weighing the tradeoff between Clay Hill's higher state rank and North Bend's pre-K entry and K–8 continuity.