Is Phelps Luck Elementary a good school?

Phelps Luck Elementary ranks 390 th of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Phelps Luck Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 746 students attended Phelps Luck Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Phelps Luck Elementary?

Students at Phelps Luck Elementary are 33% Hispanic, 27% African American, 23% White, 11% Asian, 7% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Phelps Luck Elementary attend?

Students who attend Phelps Luck Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Bonnie Branch Middle High : Howard High

Phelps Luck Elementary

Summary:

Phelps Luck Elementary is a public elementary school in Columbia, Maryland, serving 746 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the highly-rated Howard County Public Schools district, which is ranked 2nd out of 25 districts in Maryland.

Phelps Luck Elementary has a diverse student population, with a racial makeup of 22.79% White, 26.54% African American, 33.24% Hispanic, 10.72% Asian, and 6.7% two or more races. However, the school's academic performance, as measured by MCAP test scores, is generally lower than the district and state averages, particularly for African American students, multi-racial students, and low socioeconomic status students. The school has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 49.6%, which is significantly higher than nearby Northfield Elementary (15.13%) and Waterloo Elementary (31.7%).

While Phelps Luck Elementary has a relatively low student-teacher ratio and increased spending per student, its academic performance is generally lower than the nearby schools in the Howard County Public Schools district. For example, Waterloo Elementary and Northfield Elementary have significantly higher proficiency rates in Mathematics and English Language Arts compared to Phelps Luck Elementary.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

5370 Oldstone Ct
Columbia, MD 21045-2457

(410) 313-6886

District: Howard County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
390^th of 859 Maryland Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,948

Students who attend Phelps Luck Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Bonnie Branch Middle
High:	Howard High

Student/teacher ratio: 12.4

Number of students: 746

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

33.2%

African American:

26.5%

White:

22.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 49.6%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Phelps Luck Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Phelps Luck Elementary ranks better than 54.6% of elementary schools in Maryland. It also ranks 32^nd among 42 ranked elementary schools in the Howard County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 48.36. (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 Phelps Luck Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (33.2%), African American (26.5%), White (22.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 49.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Phelps Luck Elementary is 12.4, which is the 10^th best among 42 elementary schools in the Howard County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Phelps Luck Elementary employs 60.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Phelps Luck Elementary is $17,948, which is the 20^th highest among 42 elementary schools in the Howard County Public Schools District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Phelps Luck 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.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Phelps Luck Elementary.

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Rank History for Phelps Luck Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Phelps Luck Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	33.33	594^th	803	26.0%
2005	53.84	416^th	805	48.3%
2006	58.94	362^nd	804	55.0%
2007	57.27	389^th	818	52.4%
2008	45.53	533^rd	838	36.4%
2009	40.98	577^th	850	32.1%
2010	51.19	482^nd	855	43.6%
2011	40.35	559^th	853	34.5%
2012	54.74	448^th	857	47.7%
2013	59.92	363^rd	847	57.1%
2014	56.35	446^th	867	48.6%
2015	45.83	422^nd	859	50.9%
2016	37.30	505^th	845	40.2%
2017	47.86	405^th	847	52.2%
2018	39.36	475^th	857	44.6%
2019	47.03	412^th	853	51.7%
2021	47.24	302^nd	802	62.3%
2022	51.01	391^st	862	54.6%
2023	40.27	457^th	855	46.5%
2024	48.36	390^th	859	54.6%

See the entire list of Maryland Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Phelps Luck Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	18.16	46^th	52	11.5%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Phelps Luck Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	26.99	455^th	546	16.7%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Phelps Luck Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	56.44	238^th	796	70.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Phelps Luck Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	39.14	368^th	788	53.3%

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

Rank History for African American students at Phelps Luck Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	51.69	161^st	504	68.1%

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

Rank History for White students at Phelps Luck Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	76.38	105^th	528	80.1%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, August 27, 2018

Mrs. Leader, the principle, is fantastic! I just wish they were better about communicating with parents. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, February 12, 2013

My son goes to PLES and I have always been very satisfied with the education and knowledge he's been getting.
PLES teacher are very professional and knowledgeable about teaching.
KUDOS to the staff and of course the one who is leading them the school principal. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Phelps Luck Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	312	152	17	3	1	n/a	n/a	485
1990	310	135	16	2	0	n/a	n/a	463
1991	333	140	16	5	0	n/a	n/a	494
1992	329	163	20	9	0	n/a	n/a	521
1993	321	159	22	3	0	n/a	n/a	505
1994	323	157	31	7	0	n/a	n/a	518
1995	297	231	23	10	0	n/a	n/a	561
1996	297	231	23	10	0	n/a	n/a	561
1997	298	247	22	15	0	n/a	n/a	582
1998	247	249	17	16	1	n/a	n/a	530
1999	231	230	24	17	1	n/a	n/a	503
2000	200	251	30	28	1	n/a	n/a	510
2001	222	273	34	47	0	n/a	n/a	576
2002	210	267	49	47	0	n/a	n/a	573
2003	210	267	49	47	0	n/a	n/a	573
2004	165	241	40	52	0	n/a	n/a	498
2005	143	253	53	47	0	n/a	n/a	496
2006	164	245	63	53	4	n/a	n/a	529
2007	183	261	71	70	4	n/a	n/a	589
2008	187	285	66	76	2	n/a	n/a	616
2009	218	278	60	83	4	n/a	n/a	643
2010	216	273	60	97	4	n/a	n/a	650
2011	150	276	59	114	1	1	65	666
2012	153	299	60	151	1	2	56	722
2013	150	292	60	169	3	2	51	727
2014	96	227	32	173	2	0	32	562
2015	100	234	26	178	3	1	39	581
2016	103	272	35	174	2	0	40	626
2017	96	254	37	172	1	1	44	605
2018	86	235	36	176	1	0	49	583
2019	90	213	39	188	1	0	51	582
2020	94	218	40	230	1	0	50	633
2021	146	170	63	204	0	0	42	625
2022	177	180	61	230	1	0	45	694
2023	170	198	80	248	0	0	50	746

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 Phelps Luck Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	485	23.0	21.0	n/a
1990	463	25.5	18.1	6.9
1991	494	27.5	17.9	9.5
1992	521	29.5	17.6	9.6
1993	505	30.5	16.6	9.9
1994	518	30.0	17.3	14.5
1995	561	28.0	20.0	22.5
1996	561	28.0	20.0	22.5
1997	582	33.0	17.6	23.7
1998	530	36.5	14.5	26.6
1999	503	36.5	13.8	33.6
2000	510	38.5	13.2	31.8
2001	576	42.5	13.6	31.1
2002	573	45.7	12.5	25.8
2003	573	45.7	12.5	25.8
2004	498	42.5	11.7	31.5
2005	496	43.0	11.5	36.3
2006	529	40.0	13.2	35.9
2007	589	43.5	13.5	37.7
2008	616	49.5	12.4	37.8
2009	643	52.0	12.4	37.5
2010	650	48.0	13.5	42
2011	666	51.0	13.0	43.4
2012	722	49.8	14.4	48.8
2013	727	55.0	13.2	50.3
2014	562	51.0	11.0	57.3
2015	581	57.0	10.1	64.2
2016	626	55.0	11.3	63.6
2017	605	56.8	10.6	57.4
2018	583	62.8	9.2	54.7
2019	582	55.8	10.4	54.3
2020	633	54.0	11.7	60.8
2021	625	59.1	10.5	40.5
2022	694	55.9	12.4	45.1
2023	746	60.1	12.4	49.6

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 Phelps Luck Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	485	23.0	21.0	n/a
1990	463	25.5	18.1	6.9
1991	494	27.5	17.9	9.5
1992	521	29.5	17.6	9.6
1993	505	30.5	16.6	9.9
1994	518	30.0	17.3	14.5
1995	561	28.0	20.0	22.5
1996	561	28.0	20.0	22.5
1997	582	33.0	17.6	23.7
1998	530	36.5	14.5	26.6
1999	503	36.5	13.8	33.6
2000	510	38.5	13.2	31.8
2001	576	42.5	13.6	31.1
2002	573	45.7	12.5	25.8
2003	573	45.7	12.5	25.8
2004	498	42.5	11.7	31.5
2005	496	43.0	11.5	36.3
2006	529	40.0	13.2	35.9
2007	589	43.5	13.5	37.7
2008	616	49.5	12.4	37.8
2009	643	52.0	12.4	37.5
2010	650	48.0	13.5	42
2011	666	51.0	13.0	43.4
2012	722	49.8	14.4	48.8
2013	727	55.0	13.2	50.3
2014	562	51.0	11.0	57.3
2015	581	57.0	10.1	64.2
2016	626	55.0	11.3	63.6
2017	605	56.8	10.6	57.4
2018	583	62.8	9.2	54.7
2019	582	55.8	10.4	54.3
2020	633	54.0	11.7	60.8
2021	625	59.1	10.5	40.5
2022	694	55.9	12.4	45.1
2023	746	60.1	12.4	49.6

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 Phelps Luck Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,204 (6.9%)	$16,140 (93.1%)	$17,344
2020	$1,184 (6.9%)	$15,976 (93.1%)	$17,160
2021	$1,401 (7.2%)	$18,134 (92.8%)	$19,535
2022	$1,628 (8.7%)	$17,108 (91.3%)	$18,736
2023	$1,331 (7.4%)	$16,617 (92.6%)	$17,948

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Phelps Luck 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 412^th of 853 Elementary schools	Ranks 457^th of 855 Elementary schools	5.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	582	746	28.2%
African American	213	198	7%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	39	80	105.1%
Hispanic	188	248	31.9%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	90	170	88.9%
Two or More Races	51	50	2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	54.3%	49.6%	4.7%

Schools Near Phelps Luck 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
Phelps Luck Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5370 Oldstone Ct	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-6886	746	60	12.4	49.6%	170 (22.8%)	198 (26.5%)	248 (33.2%)	80 (10.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (6.7%)	48.4	390^th of 859 public elementary schools	54.6%		40.3	457^th of 855 public elementary schools	46.5%	67	51.5	25.2	31.6	35.5	49.5	43.4	34.8	41.7	24.6	$17,948	$1,331	$16,617
Thunder Hill Elementary	Public	K-5	9357 Mellenbrook Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-6922	472	37	12.6	39.8%	106 (22.5%)	186 (39.4%)	74 (15.7%)	70 (14.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	34 (7.2%)	58.2	317^th of 859 public elementary schools	63.1%		58.7	308^th of 855 public elementary schools	64.0%	9	40.8	41.7	32.9	38.6	46.1	54.2	50.6	50.4	26.3	$19,466	$985	$18,481
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
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
Waterloo Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5940 Waterloo Rd	Columbia	21045	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5014	612	48	12.6	31.7%	200 (32.7%)	182 (29.7%)	88 (14.4%)	95 (15.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (7.4%)	85.4	115^th of 859 public elementary schools	86.6%		83	139^th of 855 public elementary schools	83.7%	24	65.3	59.8	44.4	57.0	79.0	72.6	66.7	73.0	33.0	$18,965	$940	$18,025
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
Worthington Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4570 Roundhill Rd	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2825	436	33	13.0	11.0%	182 (41.7%)	30 (6.9%)	27 (6.2%)	160 (36.7%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.3%)	97.7	10^th of 859 public elementary schools	98.8%		98.2	8^th of 855 public elementary schools	99.1%	2	77.8	86.6	68.5	77.3	82.0	97.0	80.8	86.6	59.7	$18,945	$685	$18,260
Bellows Spring Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8125 Old Stockbridge Dr	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5057	799	64	12.5	25.7%	152 (19.0%)	227 (28.4%)	88 (11.0%)	280 (35.0%)	6 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (5.6%)	79.1	173^rd of 859 public elementary schools	79.9%		73	219^th of 855 public elementary schools	74.4%	46	58.3	66.4	45.0	56.9	58.7	73.1	57.8	63.3	28.4	$17,088	$767	$16,321
Running Brook Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5215 W Running Brook Rd	Columbia	21044	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-6893	399	46	8.6	50.9%	80 (20.1%)	202 (50.6%)	49 (12.3%)	22 (5.5%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.0%)	41 (10.3%)	35.3	489^th of 859 public elementary schools	43.1%		33.2	524^th of 855 public elementary schools	38.7%	35	37.7	41.9	18.8	31.5	38.3	55.8	14.8	34.1	7.8	$24,033	$1,790	$22,243
Veterans Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4355 Montgomery Road	Ellicott City	21043	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-1700	870	67	12.9	28.7%	198 (22.8%)	153 (17.6%)	79 (9.1%)	372 (42.8%)	7 (0.8%)	3 (0.3%)	58 (6.7%)	83	143^rd of 859 public elementary schools	83.4%		76.8	191^st of 855 public elementary schools	77.7%	48	71.9	49.3	48.5	56.3	67.7	60.4	63.2	63.7	41.7	$16,613	$866	$15,747

Phelps Luck Elementary

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Rank History for Phelps Luck Elementary

Rank History for all students at Phelps Luck Elementary

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Phelps Luck Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Phelps Luck Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Phelps Luck Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Phelps Luck Elementary

Rank History for African American students at Phelps Luck Elementary

Rank History for White students at Phelps Luck Elementary

Review counts

Enrollment information for Phelps Luck Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Phelps Luck Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Phelps Luck Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Phelps Luck Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Phelps Luck Elementary

Rankings

Student Body

Schools Near Phelps Luck Elementary