Enrollment
1,080
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Bel Air, MD
Bel Air Middle
Federal NCES profile for Bel Air Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 240039001397
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bel Air Middle earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #3 of 3
- middle schools in Bel Air · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 20.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Bel Air Middle has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bel Air Middle ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Bel Air, MD.
School address
District: Harford County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240039001397 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
79.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.5%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bel Air Middle compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bel Air Middle
Bel Air Middle is a large middle school in Bel Air, Maryland, enrolling 1,080 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 20.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 1,080 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Among 154 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #143, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 540 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Harford County Public Schools spends $15,192 per pupil, 26% below the Maryland average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Bel Air's middle schools, it stands alongside Southampton Middle (1,192 students): Bel Air Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.7:1 vs 15.7:1).
Harford County Public Schools also operates Edgewood High (1,440 students) and Aberdeen High (1,396 students) alongside Bel Air Middle.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Bel Air Middle compares
Bel Air Middle on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.7:1 | ▼ 6% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.5% | ▼ 58% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,080 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,080
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 38% in Maryland - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,192
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 540 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 76 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 69.7%
Hispanic or Latino 9.8%
Two or More 7.1%
African American 6.9%
Asian 6.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 69.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.1, Bel Air Middle is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harford County Public Schools, which includes Bel Air Middle.
$15,192
Per student
-26%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.6%
State 35.4%
Federal 12.0%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Bel Air Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edgewood High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Aberdeen High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bel Air High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| C. Milton Wright High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Harford High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bel Air Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,440
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,396
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,341
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,291
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,204
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar middle schools in Bel Air
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,080 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bel Air Middle's federal record.
- Compare Bel Air Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Harford County Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Bel Air Middle
How many students attend Bel Air Middle?
Bel Air Middle has 1,080 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Bel Air, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bel Air Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Bel Air Middle is 13.7:1, which is 6% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bel Air Middle?
20.5% of students at Bel Air Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bel Air Middle?
The largest demographic group at Bel Air Middle is White at 69.7% of enrollment, in Bel Air, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bel Air Middle?
Bel Air Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bel Air Middle rank among middle schools in Bel Air?
By Resource Investment Index, Bel Air Middle ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Bel Air, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Bel Air on the city page.
Is Bel Air Middle a good school?
Bel Air Middle earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Harford County Public Schools?
Besides Bel Air Middle, Harford County Public Schools also operates Edgewood High (1,440 students), Aberdeen High (1,396 students), and Bel Air High (1,341 students). See the Harford County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.