Atholton Elementary

Q: Is Atholton Elementary a good school?

Atholton Elementary ranks 146 th of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Atholton Elementary is a public elementary school located in Columbia, Maryland, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 489. The school is part of the highly-ranked Howard County Public Schools district, which is rated 5 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger, and Atholton Elementary has consistently maintained a 4-star rating, ranking among the top 20-25% of Maryland elementary schools.

Atholton Elementary stands out for its exceptional academic performance, consistently outperforming the state and district averages in both Mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) assessments across all grade levels. In the 2023-2024 school year, Atholton's proficiency rates were 50.9% in Mathematics and 67.2% in ELA, compared to the state averages of 24.1% and 48.4%, respectively. The school's performance is particularly strong in 3rd grade, where 55.7% of students were proficient in Mathematics and 69.6% were proficient in ELA, significantly higher than the state and district averages. Additionally, Atholton Elementary has a relatively diverse student population, with a racial makeup of 46.63% White, 22.9% African American, 13.29% Hispanic, and 6.34% Asian, which is higher than many of the nearby schools, such as Swansfield Elementary and Hammond Elementary.

Atholton Elementary's success extends beyond its overall academic performance, as the school also excels in supporting the academic achievement of its diverse student subgroups. The school ranks among the top 10-25% of Maryland elementary schools for its African American and White student subgroups, with its African American students ranking 54th out of 504 Maryland elementary schools and its White students ranking 135th out of 528 schools in the 2020-2021 school year. This suggests that Atholton may have effective strategies in place to promote equity and ensure that all students, regardless of their racial background, have the opportunity to succeed.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

6700 Seneca Dr
Columbia, MD 21046-1130

(410) 313-6853

District: Howard County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
146^th of 859 Maryland Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,440

Students who attend Atholton Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Hammond Middle
High:	Hammond High

Student/teacher ratio: 13.7

Number of students: 489

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.6%

African American:

22.9%

Hispanic:

13.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 16.8%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Atholton Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Atholton Elementary ranks better than 83% of elementary schools in Maryland. It also ranks 20^th among 42 ranked elementary schools in the Howard County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 82.75. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a 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 Student population at Atholton Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (46.6%), African American (22.9%), Hispanic (13.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 16.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Atholton Elementary is 13.7. 26 elementary schools in the Howard County Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Atholton Elementary employs 35.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Atholton Elementary is $16,440. 34 elementary schools in the Howard County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Atholton Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Howard County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Howard County Public Schools 2^nd of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Atholton Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Atholton Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	20.13	668^th	803	16.8%
2005	26.09	629^th	805	21.9%
2006	22.60	661^st	804	17.8%
2007	27.67	640^th	818	21.8%
2008	62.57	348^th	838	58.5%
2009	73.32	234^th	850	72.5%
2010	73.61	220^th	855	74.3%
2011	77.35	149^th	853	82.5%
2012	60.19	398^th	857	53.6%
2013	78.52	142^nd	847	83.2%
2014	81.25	135^th	867	84.4%
2015	84.86	129^th	859	85.0%
2016	90.69	77^th	845	90.9%
2017	83.59	150^th	847	82.3%
2018	75.29	207^th	857	75.8%
2019	81.98	148^th	853	82.6%
2021	76.07	142^nd	802	82.3%
2022	79.51	174^th	862	79.8%
2023	78.70	173^rd	855	79.8%
2024	82.75	146^th	859	83.0%

See the entire list of Maryland Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Atholton Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	65.74	174^th	796	78.1%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Atholton Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	79.01	117^th	788	85.2%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Atholton Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	73.68	54^th	504	89.3%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Atholton Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	71.35	135^th	528	74.4%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for White Students!

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

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Maryland State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Atholton Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	375	31	13	0	5	n/a	n/a	-1	423
1990	367	22	23	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	413
1991	339	20	17	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	379
1992	344	21	23	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	392
1993	424	54	26	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	514
1994	409	51	27	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	496
1995	440	49	32	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	527
1996	440	49	32	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	527
1997	439	55	36	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	534
1998	445	51	39	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	539
1999	419	45	38	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	508
2000	396	66	49	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	518
2001	396	82	48	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	532
2002	359	84	39	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	492
2003	359	84	39	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	492
2004	348	93	47	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	499
2005	326	109	41	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	486
2006	288	117	29	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	443
2007	261	107	32	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	418
2008	262	118	38	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	437
2009	271	112	39	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	441
2010	281	144	32	22	1	n/a	n/a	0	480
2011	215	131	32	52	1	0	46	0	477
2012	239	130	30	52	1	0	47	0	499
2013	262	74	20	23	0	0	35	0	414
2014	235	85	30	33	0	0	38	0	421
2015	227	70	28	32	0	0	35	0	392
2016	238	77	28	38	1	0	42	0	424
2017	257	82	42	45	1	0	41	0	468
2018	251	98	52	43	0	1	42	0	487
2019	239	102	42	46	0	1	41	0	471
2020	255	121	40	46	0	1	41	0	504
2021	206	112	35	52	0	0	46	0	451
2022	227	109	36	53	1	0	48	0	474
2023	228	112	31	65	1	1	51	0	489

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 Atholton Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	423	33.0	12.8	n/a
1990	413	25.0	16.5	0.7
1991	379	24.5	15.4	0.8
1992	392	22.5	17.4	0.3
1993	514	27.5	18.7	0.2
1994	496	28.0	17.7	3
1995	527	30.0	17.6	3.8
1996	527	30.0	17.6	3.8
1997	534	30.0	17.8	5.2
1998	539	31.0	17.4	5.2
1999	508	31.0	16.4	6.1
2000	518	31.5	16.4	6.2
2001	532	33.5	15.9	6.4
2002	492	32.5	15.1	6.1
2003	492	32.5	15.1	6.1
2004	499	37.0	13.5	6.6
2005	486	34.0	14.3	9.7
2006	443	31.0	14.3	8.8
2007	418	32.5	12.9	12.2
2008	437	34.6	12.6	14.6
2009	441	35.6	12.4	15.2
2010	480	36.6	13.1	20.8
2011	477	32.1	14.8	22.9
2012	499	35.1	14.2	22.8
2013	414	29.5	14.0	9.9
2014	421	32.0	13.1	10.7
2015	392	31.0	12.6	9.4
2016	424	30.0	14.1	12.5
2017	468	32.2	14.5	12.6
2018	487	36.0	13.5	12.9
2019	471	34.5	13.6	12.3
2020	504	36.5	13.8	12.3
2021	451	35.0	12.8	12.6
2022	474	33.2	14.2	13.7
2023	489	35.5	13.7	16.8

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 Atholton Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	423	33.0	12.8	n/a
1990	413	25.0	16.5	0.7
1991	379	24.5	15.4	0.8
1992	392	22.5	17.4	0.3
1993	514	27.5	18.7	0.2
1994	496	28.0	17.7	3
1995	527	30.0	17.6	3.8
1996	527	30.0	17.6	3.8
1997	534	30.0	17.8	5.2
1998	539	31.0	17.4	5.2
1999	508	31.0	16.4	6.1
2000	518	31.5	16.4	6.2
2001	532	33.5	15.9	6.4
2002	492	32.5	15.1	6.1
2003	492	32.5	15.1	6.1
2004	499	37.0	13.5	6.6
2005	486	34.0	14.3	9.7
2006	443	31.0	14.3	8.8
2007	418	32.5	12.9	12.2
2008	437	34.6	12.6	14.6
2009	441	35.6	12.4	15.2
2010	480	36.6	13.1	20.8
2011	477	32.1	14.8	22.9
2012	499	35.1	14.2	22.8
2013	414	29.5	14.0	9.9
2014	421	32.0	13.1	10.7
2015	392	31.0	12.6	9.4
2016	424	30.0	14.1	12.5
2017	468	32.2	14.5	12.6
2018	487	36.0	13.5	12.9
2019	471	34.5	13.6	12.3
2020	504	36.5	13.8	12.3
2021	451	35.0	12.8	12.6
2022	474	33.2	14.2	13.7
2023	489	35.5	13.7	16.8

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 Atholton Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$456 (3.2%)	$13,588 (96.8%)	$14,044
2020	$512 (3.5%)	$14,131 (96.5%)	$14,643
2021	$772 (4.6%)	$15,951 (95.4%)	$16,723
2022	$943 (5.7%)	$15,659 (94.3%)	$16,602
2023	$784 (4.8%)	$15,655 (95.2%)	$16,440

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Atholton Elementary

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 148^th of 853 Elementary schools	Ranks 173^rd of 855 Elementary schools	2.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	471	489	3.8%
African American	102	112	9.8%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	42	31	26.2%
Hispanic	46	65	41.3%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	239	228	4.6%
Two or More Races	41	51	24.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	12.3%	16.8%	4.5%

Schools Near Atholton Elementary

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 Science (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 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Atholton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6700 Seneca Dr	Columbia	21046	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6853	489	36	13.7	16.8%	228 (46.6%)	112 (22.9%)	65 (13.3%)	31 (6.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	51 (10.4%)	82.7	146^th of 859 public elementary schools	83.0%		78.7	173^rd of 855 public elementary schools	79.8%	27	55.7	46.1	50.6	50.9	69.6	68.4	63.6	67.2	42.3	$16,440	$784	$15,655
Clemens Crossing Elementary	Public	K-5	10320 Quarterstaff Rd	Columbia	21044	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6866	543	39	13.8	26.2%	216 (39.8%)	138 (25.4%)	65 (12.0%)	70 (12.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	52 (9.6%)	87.1	101^st of 859 public elementary schools	88.2%		75	206^th of 855 public elementary schools	75.9%	105	69.0	52.9	50.0	57.1	69.5	65.5	76.7	70.7	42.9	$17,686	$720	$16,965
Cradlerock Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6700 Cradlerock Way	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 319-7601	459	45	10.2	57.7%	91 (19.8%)	225 (49.0%)	82 (17.9%)	20 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (8.9%)	37.4	465^th of 859 public elementary schools	45.9%		28.4	558^th of 855 public elementary schools	34.7%	93	26.5	23.6	28.1	26.0	38.8	42.3	41.9	41.0	17.5	$21,909	$1,688	$20,221
Stevens Forest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6045 Stevens Forest Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-6900	308	35	8.8	52.3%	60 (19.5%)	119 (38.6%)	78 (25.3%)	21 (6.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (9.4%)	67.3	257^th of 859 public elementary schools	70.1%		69	242^nd of 855 public elementary schools	71.7%	15	50.0	41.7	40.0	43.8	57.4	61.7	55.9	58.1	24.6	$26,690	$2,212	$24,478
Guilford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7335 Oakland Mills Rd	Columbia	21046	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 880-5930	478	43	11.2	56.5%	67 (14.0%)	234 (49.0%)	86 (18.0%)	65 (13.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.2%)	43.3	435^th of 859 public elementary schools	49.4%		40.7	450^th of 855 public elementary schools	47.4%	15	32.1	30.1	23.5	28.5	51.9	54.2	36.7	47.4	14.6	$21,037	$1,443	$19,594
Talbott Springs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9550 Basket Ring Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-6915	483	46	10.4	54.2%	91 (18.8%)	177 (36.6%)	145 (30.0%)	26 (5.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	42 (8.7%)	51.6	364^th of 859 public elementary schools	57.6%		48.1	378^th of 855 public elementary schools	55.8%	14	50.0	21.4	35.9	35.6	58.8	34.8	44.7	46.0	24.4	$20,156	$1,536	$18,620
Jeffers Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6001 Tamar Dr	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6872	408	32	12.5	45.8%	77 (18.9%)	164 (40.2%)	94 (23.0%)	45 (11.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.6%)	53.5	343^rd of 859 public elementary schools	60.1%		45.1	407^th of 855 public elementary schools	52.4%	64	31.9	35.4	30.5	32.6	43.3	61.5	52.5	52.4	23.3	$19,277	$666	$18,611
Bryant Woods Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5450 Blue Heron Ln	Columbia	21044	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-6859	361	37	9.6	50.1%	85 (23.5%)	165 (45.7%)	52 (14.4%)	23 (6.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (9.7%)	44.3	426^th of 859 public elementary schools	50.4%		46.2	395^th of 855 public elementary schools	53.8%	31	47.6	25.5	15.3	30.1	39.7	54.9	41.4	44.8	20.3	$23,591	$1,810	$21,781
Swansfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5610 Cedar Ln	Columbia	21044	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-6907	592	47	12.4	41.0%	174 (29.4%)	249 (42.1%)	58 (9.8%)	52 (8.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	57 (9.6%)	53	353^rd of 859 public elementary schools	58.9%		51	364^th of 855 public elementary schools	57.4%	11	50.5	34.9	31.6	39.0	48.4	45.8	50.0	48.1	16.1	$17,965	$1,396	$16,568
Hammond Elementary	Public	K-5	8110 Aladdin Dr	Laurel	20723	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 880-5890	651	42	15.3	18.3%	293 (45.0%)	146 (22.4%)	61 (9.4%)	95 (14.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (8.3%)	80.2	165^th of 859 public elementary schools	80.8%		87.1	105^th of 855 public elementary schools	87.7%	60	57.0	45.7	52.4	51.7	61.9	56.7	66.7	61.7	44.1	$15,353	$722	$14,631

Frequently Asked Questions about Atholton Elementary

Is Atholton Elementary a good school?

Atholton Elementary ranks 146^th of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Atholton Elementary?

Students at Atholton Elementary are 47% White, 23% African American, 13% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 6% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Atholton Elementary attend?

Students who attend Atholton Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hammond Middle
High : Hammond High

How many students attend Atholton Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 489 students attended Atholton Elementary.

What district is Atholton Elementary in?

Howard County Public Schools

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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.