Last school year was another shining performance by Baltimore County Public Schools.

The county is once again home to the most five-star schools and the highest-performing school in the state, according to the Maryland School Report Card. New schools have entered the four- and five-star clubs, and seven of the top 10 schools in Maryland are in Baltimore County.

The Maryland State Department of Education released its annual star ratings on Tuesday, revealing that Baltimore County’s school quality is moving in the right direction. That aligns with the increases seen in Maryland ratings overall. Schools are scored from one to five stars based on test scores, graduation rates and other criteria from the 2024-25 school year.

Here are four things to know about Baltimore County’s performance.

Baltimore County has the most 5-star schools.

Baltimore County, the third-largest school district in the state, has the most five-star schools in Maryland once again. Of the county’s 162 schools that received a rating, 23 received the highest marks. That’s a slight improvement from the 20 five-star schools last year.

Montgomery County, Maryland’s largest school district, had the second-most, with 18 five-star schools.

New schools joined the five-star club

There were five schools that went from four to five stars this year, all elementary schools: Hillcrest, Fort Garrison, Lutherville Laboratory, Oliver Beach and Hampton. The accolade isn’t entirely new to any of them: All have earned five stars at some point in the Report Card’s six-year existence. However, it’s Hampton Elementary’s first time collecting five stars since 2018.

Since then, Hampton has experienced extreme overcrowding that’s led to chaotic classrooms and cramped cafeterias. The school went through two rounds of redistricting in four years. Now, it’s one of the highest-rated schools in the county.

Logan Elementary made a comeback

Several Baltimore County schools went from three stars to four. But only Logan Elementary School managed to double its stars in two years.

The Dundalk school slid from four stars in 2017-18 to two stars in 2021-22. It’s back to four stars again this year, thanks to big improvements in math on the state standardized test, a key factor in determining a school’s rating. Last year, only 15.2% of students were proficient on the math tests. This year, it grew to 26.7% of students — just above the state average.

County schools took over the top 10

Of the 10 Maryland schools with the most points on the Report Card, seven belong to Baltimore County Public Schools. Schools are scored out of 100 points; 75 points or more earns a school five stars.

At the very top, with 92 points, is Eastern Technical High School, the returning star-rating champ that was also the highest-rated Maryland school last year. The Essex school was named the No. 1 school in Maryland earlier this year by U.S. News & World Report.

Prince George’s County’s Academy of Health Sciences is in second place with 89 points, and Baltimore County’s Fifth District Elementary in Upperco is in third with 88 points, making it the highest-rated elementary school in the state.

The other Baltimore County schools in the top 10 are:

• Rodgers Forge Elementary, 87 points
• Western School of Technology, 85 points
• West Towson Elementary, 85 points
• Kingsville Elementary, 84 points
• Chapel Hill Elementary, 84 points

About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.