Patterson Mill High School

Q: Is Patterson Mill High School a good school?

Patterson Mill High School ranks 89 th of 146 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Patterson Mill High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Bel Air, Maryland, with a student population of 819 as of the 2022-2023 school year. The school is part of the Harford County Public Schools district, which is ranked 9th out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

One key differentiator of Patterson Mill High School is its racial makeup, with a significantly higher percentage of white students (65.81%) compared to surrounding schools like Aberdeen High (31.17%) and Edgewood High (27.35%). Academically, the school excels in English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency, with 62.6% of students proficient or better, surpassing the Harford County and Maryland state averages. However, it lags behind in mathematics proficiency, with only 14.1% of students proficient or better, compared to 24.9% for Harford County and 24.1% for Maryland.

Another notable difference is the school's relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (24.18%), compared to the surrounding schools, such as Joppatowne High (72.87%) and Edgewood High (62.33%), suggesting a higher socioeconomic status of its student population. While Patterson Mill High School's ranking has fluctuated over the years, its current position of 89th out of 146 Maryland high schools places it in the middle of the state's performance spectrum.

Detail:

Public 9-12

85 Patterson Mill Rd
Bel Air, MD 21015

(410) 638-4640

District: Harford County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
89^th of 146 Maryland High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,734

Feeder schools for Patterson Mill High School:

Elementary:	Ring Factory Elementary
Middle:	Patterson Mill Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.3

Number of students: 819

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.8%

African American:

9.9%

Hispanic:

8.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 24.2%

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Compare Patterson Mill High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Patterson Mill High School ranks worse than 61% of high schools in Maryland. It also ranks 5^th among 9 ranked high schools in the Harford County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 39.76. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (65.8%), African American (9.9%), Hispanic (8.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 24.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Patterson Mill High School is 15.3. 5 high schools in the Harford County Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Patterson Mill High School employs 53.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Patterson Mill High School is $17,734, which is the highest among 11 high schools in the Harford County Public Schools District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Patterson Mill High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Patterson Mill High School 89^th of 146 Maryland public high schools. (See Patterson Mill High School in the ranking list.)

Harford County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Harford County Public Schools 9^th of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Patterson Mill High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	MD State Percentile
2010	78.98	37^th	220	83.2%
2011	78.46	32^nd	183	82.5%
2012	78.92	33^rd	187	82.4%
2013	77.10	36^th	185	80.5%
2014	80.06	34^th	231	85.3%
2015	80.24	12^th	233	94.8%
2016	67.42	57^th	233	75.5%
2017	68.08	33^rd	180	81.7%
2018	56.52	61^st	197	69.0%
2019	67.70	31^st	138	77.5%
2022	41.08	108^th	225	52.0%
2023	62.04	28^th	127	78.0%
2024	39.76	89^th	146	39.0%

See the entire list of Maryland High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Maryland State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Maryland State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a student
Sunday, December 19, 2021

Pathetic, mismanaged place, cramming 2 schools into barely enough space for one, and proceeding to fill it with largely incompetent instructors and bumbling administration (with a few exceptions) Close Quote

Enrollment information for Patterson Mill High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2008	389	26	13	8	0	n/a	n/a	436
2009	611	51	19	19	1	n/a	n/a	701
2010	822	71	31	24	1	n/a	n/a	949
2011	803	71	31	36	1	1	21	964
2012	816	68	37	44	1	1	24	991
2013	754	69	43	46	2	2	25	941
2014	721	76	45	47	3	1	26	919
2015	670	71	46	47	3	3	31	871
2016	637	67	48	50	2	2	27	833
2017	645	65	53	51	1	1	23	839
2018	636	64	61	51	1	1	26	840
2019	617	60	58	63	0	2	26	826
2020	600	73	54	59	0	2	37	825
2021	599	69	53	58	0	3	54	836
2022	561	62	55	62	1	3	58	802
2023	539	81	58	71	1	5	64	819

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Patterson Mill High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	436	33.8	12.9	n/a
2009	701	47.3	14.8	n/a
2010	949	60.2	15.7	0
2011	964	61.2	15.7	0
2012	991	61.2	16.1	0
2013	941	61.0	15.4	0
2014	919	62.2	14.7	11.1
2015	871	61.0	14.2	11.1
2016	833	58.0	14.3	11
2017	839	57.2	14.6	11.7
2018	840	56.2	14.9	12.5
2019	826	56.2	14.6	13.2
2020	825	51.2	16.0	12.5
2021	836	51.2	16.3	18.1
2022	802	51.2	15.6	17.5
2023	819	53.2	15.3	24.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Patterson Mill High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	436	33.8	12.9	n/a
2009	701	47.3	14.8	n/a
2010	949	60.2	15.7	0
2011	964	61.2	15.7	0
2012	991	61.2	16.1	0
2013	941	61.0	15.4	0
2014	919	62.2	14.7	11.1
2015	871	61.0	14.2	11.1
2016	833	58.0	14.3	11
2017	839	57.2	14.6	11.7
2018	840	56.2	14.9	12.5
2019	826	56.2	14.6	13.2
2020	825	51.2	16.0	12.5
2021	836	51.2	16.3	18.1
2022	802	51.2	15.6	17.5
2023	819	53.2	15.3	24.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Patterson Mill High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$775 (5.6%)	$13,062 (94.4%)	$13,837
2020	$784 (5.6%)	$13,126 (94.4%)	$13,910
2021	$1,313 (9.4%)	$12,583 (90.6%)	$13,896
2022	$1,863 (11.8%)	$13,861 (88.2%)	$15,724
2023	$1,579 (8.9%)	$16,154 (91.1%)	$17,734

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Patterson Mill High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 31^st of 138 High schools	Ranks 28^th of 127 High schools	0.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	826	819	0.8%
African American	60	81	35%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	58	58
Hispanic	63	71	12.7%
Pacific Islander	2	5	150%
White	617	539	12.6%
Two or More Races	26	64	146.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	13.2%	24.2%	11%

Schools Near Patterson Mill High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCAP Mathematics (2024)	MCAP English Language Arts (2024)					MCAP Algebra I (2024)	MCAP Algebra II (2024)	MCAP Geometry (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 10th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Algebra I End of Course	MCAP Algebra II End of Course	MCAP Geometry End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Patterson Mill High School	Public	9-12	85 Patterson Mill Rd	Bel Air	21015	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-4640	819	53	15.3	24.2%	539 (65.8%)	81 (9.9%)	71 (8.7%)	58 (7.1%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.6%)	64 (7.8%)	39.8	89^th of 146 public high schools	39.0%		62	28^th of 127 public high schools	78.0%	61	14.1				62.6	62.6	12.1	32.1		$17,734	$1,579	$16,154
Bel Air High	Public	9-12	100 Heighe St	Bel Air	21014	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-4600	1,489	91	16.3	21.7%	1,068 (71.7%)	139 (9.3%)	110 (7.4%)	101 (6.8%)	2 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	63 (4.2%)	50.5	56^th of 146 public high schools	61.6%		62.2	27^th of 127 public high schools	78.7%	29	13.1				68.7	68.7	9.4	30.8		$15,462	$1,394	$14,067
C. Milton Wright High	Public	9-12	1301 N Fountain Green Rd	Bel Air	21015	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-4110	1,266	84	15.0	22.7%	955 (75.4%)	98 (7.7%)	74 (5.8%)	67 (5.3%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (5.2%)	34.7	109^th of 146 public high schools	25.3%		46.2	68^th of 127 public high schools	46.5%	41	18.9				52.9	52.9	15.0	33.6	6.4	$16,117	$1,390	$14,728
Harford Technical High	Public, Magnet	9-12	200 Thomas Run Rd	Bel Air	21015	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(410) 638-3804	979	63	15.6	22.2%	679 (69.4%)	123 (12.6%)	75 (7.7%)	33 (3.4%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	60 (6.1%)	45.6	69^th of 146 public high schools	52.7%		50.2	55^th of 127 public high schools	56.7%	14	18.9				74.5	74.5	19.6	25.7		$16,436	$1,334	$15,102
Fallston High	Public	9-12	2301 Carrs Mill Rd	Fallston	21047	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 638-4120	1,044	61	17.0	13.6%	876 (83.9%)	41 (3.9%)	50 (4.8%)	27 (2.6%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	42 (4.0%)	44.7	75^th of 146 public high schools	48.6%		65.4	21^st of 127 public high schools	83.5%	54	13.2				68.3	68.3	12.1	38.0		$15,885	$1,351	$14,534
Edgewood High	Public, Magnet	9-12	2415 Willoughby Beach Rd	Edgewood	21040	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(410) 612-1500	1,415	93	15.2	62.3%	387 (27.3%)	662 (46.8%)	198 (14.0%)	45 (3.2%)	6 (0.4%)	4 (0.3%)	113 (8.0%)	21.9	132^nd of 146 public high schools	9.6%		36.5	96^th of 127 public high schools	24.4%	36	6.6				44.5	44.5	6.2	16.2		$15,657	$1,612	$14,045
Joppatowne High	Public, Magnet	9-12	555 Joppa Farm Rd	Joppa	21085	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(410) 612-1510	833	55	15.0	72.9%	204 (24.5%)	443 (53.2%)	97 (11.6%)	10 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	74 (8.9%)								(n/a)					34.7	34.7				$17,635	$1,962	$15,672
Aberdeen High	Public, Magnet	9-12	251 Paradise Rd	Aberdeen	21001	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(410) 273-5500	1,495	101	14.7	53.4%	466 (31.2%)	600 (40.1%)	197 (13.2%)	73 (4.9%)	6 (0.4%)	4 (0.3%)	144 (9.6%)	22.7	130^th of 146 public high schools	11.0%		57.2	37^th of 127 public high schools	70.9%	93	9.2				40.9	40.9	5.2	38.3		$15,295	$1,567	$13,729
Center for Educational Opportunity	Public, Virtual	6-12	253 Paradise Rd	Aberdeen	21001	Harford County	Harford County Public Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(410) 273-5594	39	20	1.9	84.6%	13 (33.3%)	22 (56.4%)	2 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.1%)								(n/a)		20.0	22.0	9.1	19.5	17.8
Perry Hall High	Public	9-12	4601 Ebenezer Rd	Baltimore	21236	Baltimore County	Baltimore County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 809-5108	2,029	122	16.6	45.4%	854 (42.1%)	715 (35.2%)	114 (5.6%)	241 (11.9%)	7 (0.3%)	4 (0.2%)	93 (4.6%)	35.8	101^st of 146 public high schools	30.8%		28.3	108^th of 127 public high schools	15.0%	7	8.9				55.0	55.0	10.1	12.3		$15,585	$1,495	$14,090

Frequently Asked Questions about Patterson Mill High School

What district is Patterson Mill High School in?

Harford County Public Schools

Is Patterson Mill High School a good school?

Patterson Mill High School ranks 89^th of 146 Maryland high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Patterson Mill High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 819 students attended Patterson Mill High School.

What is the racial makeup of Patterson Mill High School?

Students at Patterson Mill High School are 66% White, 10% African American, 9% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 7% Asian.

What schools feed into Patterson Mill High School?

Patterson Mill High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Ring Factory Elementary
Middle : Patterson Mill Middle School

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Maryland State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.