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Public middle school · Harford County Public Schools · Bel Air, Maryland

Bel Air Middle

Bel Air Middle rates 8.4, among the strongest middle schools in Harford County Public Schools, where the rated median is 6.9.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
8.4this school

8.4 on a one-to-ten scale; the Harford County Public Schools median is 6.9.

#120 of 1,363 schools in Maryland · Harford County Public Schools: 9 middle schools rated, median 6.9

The brief

A Harford County Public Schools middle school serving grades 6th – 8th.

Students at Bel Air Middle score 56% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 58%).

It ranks 120 of 1,363 schools in Maryland and 5 of 55 in Harford County Public Schools.

Math36%9 points above the Maryland average of 27%1,070 students tested · 2026 MCAP
Reading76%24 points above the Maryland average of 52%1,049 students tested · 2026 MCAP
Proficiency declined earlier in the 18-year record (2009–2026), then recovered 22 points since 2021, reaching 56% in 2026.2026 MCAP; 30 test records from MD state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
9.2
40% of the rating
Academics
7.6
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
8.1
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 56% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 74% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 MCAP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 MCAP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 21014; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Bel Air Middle and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$113,825
Median home value
$407,800
Median rent
$1,571/mo
College educated
44.5%
Homeownership
76.9%
Poverty rate
7%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 21014; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
62
Somewhat Walkable
Bike Score
35
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
2,393/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Bel Air. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Bel Air), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
22.9%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Bel Air Middlethis school
    8.4
  2. 7.9Compare →
  3. 7.8Compare →
  4. 7.4Compare →
  5. 3.3Compare →
Four grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than Bel Air Middle.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Bel Air Middle serve?

Bel Air Middle serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend Bel Air Middle?

Bel Air Middle has an enrollment of approximately 1,080 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Bel Air Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at Bel Air Middle is 14:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Bel Air Middle rank in MD?

Bel Air Middle ranks #120 of 1,363 schools in MD.

What is Bel Air Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

Bel Air Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.4 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Bel Air Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Bel Air Middle has 56% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 74% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Bel Air Middle a charter school?

No, Bel Air Middle is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Bel Air Middle a Title I school?

No, Bel Air Middle is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Bel Air Middle?

22.9% of students at Bel Air Middle qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
1,080
Student-teacher ratio
14:1
Teachers (FTE)
77
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Midsize Suburb
County
Harford County
Rank in district
#5 of 55
Schools in district
55
District spending per student
$17,493
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
7.2%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 21014)
37,976
Area average commute
31 min
Area median age
40.8

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Maryland Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.