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Public elementary school · Howard County Public Schools · Columbia, Maryland

Thunder Hill Elementary

Thunder Hill Elementary rates 6.2, below most Howard County Public Schools elementary schools, whose rated median is 7.5.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
6.2this school

6.2 on a one-to-ten scale; the Howard County Public Schools median is 7.5.

#774 of 1,363 schools in Maryland · Howard County Public Schools: 42 elementary schools rated, median 7.5

The brief

A Howard County Public Schools elementary school where students score 4 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 774 of 1,363 schools in Maryland and 64 of 76 in Howard County Public Schools.

Thunder Hill Elementary is listed in Howard County Public Schools, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math42%15 points above the Maryland average of 27%245 students tested · 2026 MCAP
Reading51%1 point below the Maryland average of 52%245 students tested · 2026 MCAP
Proficiency declined earlier in the 18-year record (2009–2026), then recovered 21 points since 2021, reaching 46% 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
4.6
50% of the rating
Academics
6.8
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
9.1
20% 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 61% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 65% (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 21045; 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.
Thunder Hill Elementary and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$117,323
Median home value
$438,500
Median rent
$1,768/mo
College educated
57.4%
Homeownership
69%
Poverty rate
8.4%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 21045; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
23
Car-Dependent
Transit Score
32
Some Transit
Bike Score
29
Somewhat Bikeable
County reported crime
1,563/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 county residents, counting every city police department, sheriff's office and county police department that reported a full year to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program. Shown only where those agencies cover at least 80% of the county's residents. Not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · county context, not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

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
34.1%
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. 9.1Compare →
  2. 8.5Compare →
  3. 7.8Compare →
  4. 7.3Compare →
  5. 7.1Compare →
  6. 6.9Compare →
  7. 6.5Compare →
  8. Thunder Hill Elementarythis school
    6.2
  9. 5.8Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and seven rate higher than Thunder Hill Elementary.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 Thunder Hill Elementary serve?

Thunder Hill Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.

How many students attend Thunder Hill Elementary?

Thunder Hill Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 454 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Thunder Hill Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Thunder Hill Elementary is 12.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Thunder Hill Elementary rank in MD?

Thunder Hill Elementary ranks #774 of 1,363 schools in MD.

What is Thunder Hill Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Thunder Hill Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.2 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 Thunder Hill Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Thunder Hill Elementary has 61% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 65% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is Thunder Hill Elementary a charter school?

No, Thunder Hill Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Thunder Hill Elementary a Title I school?

No, Thunder Hill Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Thunder Hill Elementary?

34.1% of students at Thunder Hill Elementary 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
Kindergarten – 5th
Enrollment
454
Student-teacher ratio
12.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
37
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Midsize City
County
Howard County
Rank in district
#64 of 76
Schools in district
78
District spending per student
$19,256
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
5.4%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 21045)
40,866
Area average commute
28 min
Area median age
38.4

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.