Enrollment
716
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Bel Air, MD
Patterson Mill Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Patterson Mill Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 240039001642
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Patterson Mill Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Bel Air · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 18.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Patterson Mill Middle School has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Patterson Mill Middle School ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Bel Air, MD.
School address
District: Harford County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240039001642 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.2%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Patterson Mill Middle School compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Patterson Mill Middle School
Patterson Mill Middle School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Bel Air, Maryland, enrolling 716 students.
At 14.6:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 18.2% free-meal eligibility runs 63% below the Maryland average.
Enrollment of 716 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 228 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #58.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and African American (10%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 358 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
17.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
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 middle schools, it stands alongside Southampton Middle (1,192 students): Patterson Mill Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.6:1 vs 15.7:1).
Harford County Public Schools also operates Edgewood High (1,440 students) and Aberdeen High (1,396 students) alongside Patterson Mill Middle School.
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 Patterson Mill Middle School compares
Patterson Mill Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.6:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.2% | ▼ 63% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 716 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
716
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 52% in Maryland - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
17.9%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 358 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 35 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.9 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 71.0%
African American 9.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.7%
Asian 6.6%
Two or More 5.9%
Largest group: White at 71.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.4, Patterson Mill Middle School 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 Patterson Mill Middle School.
$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 Patterson Mill Middle School 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 Patterson Mill Middle School'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 (~716 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Patterson Mill Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Patterson Mill Middle School 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 Patterson Mill Middle School
How many students attend Patterson Mill Middle School?
Patterson Mill Middle School has 716 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Bel Air, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Patterson Mill Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Patterson Mill Middle School is 14.6:1, which is 1% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Patterson Mill Middle School?
18.2% of students at Patterson Mill Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Patterson Mill Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Patterson Mill Middle School is White at 71.0% of enrollment, in Bel Air, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Patterson Mill Middle School?
Patterson Mill Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Patterson Mill Middle School rank among middle schools in Bel Air?
By Resource Investment Index, Patterson Mill Middle School ranks #1 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 Patterson Mill Middle School a good school?
Patterson Mill Middle School earns 49/100 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 Patterson Mill Middle School, 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.