Enrollment
635
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bel Air, MD
Hickory Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hickory Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 240039000698
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hickory Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Bel Air · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.8:1
- students per teacher
- 19.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Hickory Elementary has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hickory Elementary ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Bel Air, MD.
School address
District: Harford County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240039000698 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.9%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hickory Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hickory Elementary
Hickory Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Bel Air, Maryland, enrolling 635 students.
At 14.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Maryland median, within a few percentage points of the 14.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 19.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 635 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maryland median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 251 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #177.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Two or More (9%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 635 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Harford County Public Schools spends $15,192 per pupil, 26% below the Maryland average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Bel Air's elementary schools, it stands alongside Red Pump Elementary School (696 students): Hickory Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.8:1 vs 14.2:1).
Harford County Public Schools also operates Edgewood High (1,440 students) and Aberdeen High (1,396 students) alongside Hickory Elementary.
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 Hickory Elementary compares
Hickory Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.8:1 | ▲ 2% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.9% | ▼ 59% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 635 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
635
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% 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
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 55% in Maryland - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 635 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 71.3%
Two or More 9.4%
African American 8.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.8%
Asian 3.6%
Largest group: White at 71.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.9, Hickory Elementary 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 Hickory Elementary.
$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 Hickory Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edgewood High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aberdeen High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bel Air High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| C. Milton Wright High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Harford High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hickory Elementary'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 elementary schools in Bel Air
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~635 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hickory Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hickory Elementary 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 Hickory Elementary
How many students attend Hickory Elementary?
Hickory Elementary has 635 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bel Air, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hickory Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hickory Elementary is 14.8:1, which is 2% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hickory Elementary?
19.9% of students at Hickory Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hickory Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hickory Elementary is White at 71.3% of enrollment, in Bel Air, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hickory Elementary?
Hickory Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Hickory Elementary rank among elementary schools in Bel Air?
By Resource Investment Index, Hickory Elementary ranks #3 of 4 elementary 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 elementary schools in Bel Air on the city page.
Is Hickory Elementary a good school?
Hickory Elementary earns 41/100 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 Hickory Elementary, 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.