Windsor Hills Elementary/Middle vs Harford Heights Elementary

Harford Heights Elementary edges out Windsor Hills Elementary/Middle by 0.1 points overall — 8.1 versus 8.0 on a 10-point scale — and holds a slightly stronger state rank, sitting at #239 of 1,363 Maryland schools compared to Windsor Hills Elementary/Middle at #257. Both schools clear the top 20 percent statewide, so the gap is narrow, but Harford Heights Elementary holds the edge on both measures.

Academically, the two schools are nearly identical: Harford Heights Elementary scores 7.8 and Windsor Hills Elementary/Middle scores 7.7 in academic performance. The growth scores tell a more interesting story. Windsor Hills Elementary/Middle earns a 9.5/10 for student growth — already exceptional — while Harford Heights Elementary scores 9.9/10, one of the highest growth figures a school can post. That four-tenths difference signals that students at Harford Heights Elementary are advancing relative to academic peers at a measurably faster rate, which matters most for families prioritizing year-over-year academic momentum over absolute proficiency levels.

Both schools serve high-need populations, with free and reduced lunch rates of 91 percent at Harford Heights Elementary and 88 percent at Windsor Hills Elementary/Middle — a three-point gap that places both firmly in high-poverty territory. Student-teacher ratios are close: 12.6:1 at Harford Heights Elementary versus 12.9:1 at Windsor Hills Elementary/Middle. Enrollment differs more substantially — Harford Heights Elementary has 404 students against Windsor Hills Elementary/Middle's 246 — meaning families who value a tighter-knit campus atmosphere will find it at Windsor Hills Elementary/Middle.

The sharpest structural difference between the two schools is grade span. Windsor Hills Elementary/Middle runs PK through 8th grade, keeping students in one building through middle school. Harford Heights Elementary serves only PK through 5th grade, after which students transition to a separate middle school. The 4.8 miles separating these Baltimore schools means both are realistic for most city families, but the grade-span distinction is a decisive factor for any parent who wants to minimize school transitions — or who specifically wants a standalone elementary experience.