Is West Friendship Elementary a good school?

Yes! West Friendship Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 27 th of 859 Maryland elementary schools.

How many students attend West Friendship Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 366 students attended West Friendship Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of West Friendship Elementary?

Students at West Friendship Elementary are 60% White, 20% Asian, 8% Two or more races, 6% African American, 6% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of West Friendship Elementary attend?

Students who attend West Friendship Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Mount View Middle High : Marriotts Ridge High

West Friendship Elementary

Summary:

West Friendship Elementary is a highly-rated public elementary school in West Friendship, Maryland that serves 366 students from kindergarten through 5th grade. It is part of the Howard County Public Schools district, which is ranked 2nd out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

West Friendship Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Maryland, ranking 27th out of 859 schools in the 2023-2024 school year. Its students significantly outperform the state and district averages in both Mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) assessments across all grade levels. In 2023-2024, 69.8% of West Friendship students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 41.1% in the district and 24.1% statewide. In ELA, 82% of West Friendship students were proficient or better, compared to 63% in the district and 48.4% statewide. The school also has a diverse student population, with 60.11% White, 20.22% Asian, 7.92% two or more races, 5.74% African American, and 5.74% Hispanic students.

West Friendship Elementary's academic performance is significantly higher than the nearby schools, including Clarksville Elementary, St. Johns Lane Elementary, and Longfellow Elementary, which are also part of the Howard County Public Schools district. For example, in 2023-2024, West Friendship's Mathematics proficiency rate for all grades was 69.8%, compared to 70.1% at Clarksville, 63.5% at St. Johns Lane, and 37.9% at Longfellow. The school's low percentage of economically disadvantaged students, ranging from 4.79% to 9.29% over the past three school years, may also contribute to its high academic performance.

Detail:

Public K-5

12500 Frederick Road
West Friendship, MD 21794

(410) 313-5512

District: Howard County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
27^th of 859 Maryland Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,823

Students who attend West Friendship Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Mount View Middle
High:	Marriotts Ridge High

Student/teacher ratio: 13.4

Number of students: 366

Racial breakdown:

White:

60.1%

Asian:

20.2%

Two or more races:

7.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 9.3%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare West Friendship Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details West Friendship Elementary ranks better than 96.9% of elementary schools in Maryland. It also ranks 3^rd among 42 ranked elementary schools in the Howard County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 96.11. (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 Racial makeup is: White (60.1%), Asian (20.2%), two or more races (7.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 9.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Friendship Elementary is 13.4. 22 elementary schools in the Howard County Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare West Friendship Elementary employs 27.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Friendship Elementary is $18,823, which is the 15^th highest among 42 elementary schools in the Howard County Public Schools District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

West Friendship 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:

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Your rating for West Friendship Elementary?

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Rank History for West Friendship Elementary

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Rank History for all students at West Friendship Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	5.90	757^th	803	5.7%
2005	5.97	761^st	805	5.5%
2006	4.80	772^nd	804	4.0%
2007	6.42	770^th	818	5.9%
2008	84.99	54^th	838	93.6%
2009	78.39	159^th	850	81.3%
2010	81.66	102^nd	855	88.1%
2011	74.75	179^th	853	79.0%
2012	76.52	164^th	857	80.9%
2013	83.34	78^th	847	90.8%
2014	84.08	88^th	867	89.9%
2015	94.45	40^th	859	95.3%
2016	95.10	27^th	845	96.8%
2017	95.15	33^rd	847	96.1%
2018	95.06	39^th	857	95.4%
2019	92.93	56^th	853	93.4%
2021	94.64	41^st	802	94.9%
2022	94.63	47^th	862	94.5%
2023	95.61	31^st	855	96.4%
2024	96.11	27^th	859	96.9%

See the entire list of Maryland Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at West Friendship Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	91.98	42^nd	796	94.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at West Friendship Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	93.70	39^th	788	95.1%

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

Rank History for Asian students at West Friendship Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	70.50	37^th	128	71.1%

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

Rank History for White students at West Friendship Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	78.14	97^th	528	81.6%

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: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, March 24, 2009

I have two children that currently attend this school and a high schooler that attended here.

I can't say enough wonderful things about the school! They class sizes are small, the teachers are all wonderful...the administrative staff is supportive and quick to handle small situation so that they don't become large ones. They have a zero tolerance policy for bullying and such.

My kids are thriving at this school. We have been to other schools in the county and I feel strongly that there is a nice mix of kids here and a huge parental involvement which makes the school a fun place to be a part of!

I can't say enough good things about it here. My 3rd grader is shy and has no problem making friends and keeping them! I love the atmosphere and this is a nice enviornment where kids are accepted and loved on. Close Quote

Enrollment information for West Friendship Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	447	20	6	0	0	n/a	n/a	473
1990	476	13	6	0	0	n/a	n/a	495
1991	468	15	7	0	0	n/a	n/a	490
1992	466	19	7	0	0	n/a	n/a	492
1993	472	18	8	2	0	n/a	n/a	500
1994	479	22	11	2	0	n/a	n/a	514
1995	411	14	9	0	0	n/a	n/a	434
1996	411	14	9	0	0	n/a	n/a	434
1997	427	18	17	0	0	n/a	n/a	462
1998	435	21	12	1	0	n/a	n/a	469
1999	315	14	16	1	0	n/a	n/a	346
2000	339	22	13	2	0	n/a	n/a	376
2001	364	25	17	4	0	n/a	n/a	410
2002	369	20	22	9	0	n/a	n/a	420
2003	369	20	22	9	0	n/a	n/a	420
2004	380	23	29	7	1	n/a	n/a	440
2005	352	27	38	9	0	n/a	n/a	426
2006	332	25	50	6	0	n/a	n/a	413
2007	244	20	40	5	1	n/a	n/a	310
2008	250	18	41	5	1	n/a	n/a	315
2009	246	17	29	6	1	n/a	n/a	299
2010	249	20	22	5	1	n/a	n/a	297
2011	229	18	24	8	0	0	13	292
2012	222	18	30	7	0	0	12	289
2013	197	17	39	7	0	0	14	274
2014	194	14	48	9	0	1	21	287
2015	204	8	49	9	1	1	15	287
2016	209	12	63	7	1	3	17	312
2017	213	14	72	9	0	3	15	326
2018	206	14	73	13	0	1	20	327
2019	261	16	88	11	0	1	24	401
2020	251	21	79	16	0	1	25	393
2021	225	22	83	20	0	1	25	376
2022	229	20	80	23	0	1	29	382
2023	220	21	74	21	0	1	29	366

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 West Friendship Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	473	23.0	20.5	n/a
1990	495	27.0	18.3	0.8
1991	490	25.5	19.2	1.4
1992	492	26.5	18.5	1.2
1993	500	26.5	18.9	1.2
1994	514	27.5	18.7	1.9
1995	434	26.5	16.4	1.2
1996	434	26.5	16.4	1.2
1997	462	27.0	17.1	1.9
1998	469	28.5	16.5	2.6
1999	346	28.5	12.1	3.5
2000	376	24.5	15.3	1.9
2001	410	25.5	16.1	3.4
2002	420	27.5	15.3	2.6
2003	420	27.5	15.3	2.6
2004	440	28.5	15.4	3.2
2005	426	29.0	14.7	2.8
2006	413	29.0	14.2	1.9
2007	310	28.0	11.1	1.9
2008	315	28.0	11.3	2.2
2009	299	27.0	11.1	2.7
2010	297	25.0	11.8	3.7
2011	292	23.0	12.6	4.5
2012	289	23.0	12.5	5.9
2013	274	23.0	11.9	5.8
2014	287	25.0	11.4	5.9
2015	287	27.0	10.6	5.6
2016	312	27.0	11.5	6.1
2017	326	24.0	13.5	3.7
2018	327	27.0	12.1	4.9
2019	401	30.0	13.3	5.5
2020	393	27.0	14.5	5.6
2021	376	28.5	13.1	4.8
2022	382	27.3	13.9	5
2023	366	27.3	13.4	9.3

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 West Friendship Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	473	23.0	20.5	n/a
1990	495	27.0	18.3	0.8
1991	490	25.5	19.2	1.4
1992	492	26.5	18.5	1.2
1993	500	26.5	18.9	1.2
1994	514	27.5	18.7	1.9
1995	434	26.5	16.4	1.2
1996	434	26.5	16.4	1.2
1997	462	27.0	17.1	1.9
1998	469	28.5	16.5	2.6
1999	346	28.5	12.1	3.5
2000	376	24.5	15.3	1.9
2001	410	25.5	16.1	3.4
2002	420	27.5	15.3	2.6
2003	420	27.5	15.3	2.6
2004	440	28.5	15.4	3.2
2005	426	29.0	14.7	2.8
2006	413	29.0	14.2	1.9
2007	310	28.0	11.1	1.9
2008	315	28.0	11.3	2.2
2009	299	27.0	11.1	2.7
2010	297	25.0	11.8	3.7
2011	292	23.0	12.6	4.5
2012	289	23.0	12.5	5.9
2013	274	23.0	11.9	5.8
2014	287	25.0	11.4	5.9
2015	287	27.0	10.6	5.6
2016	312	27.0	11.5	6.1
2017	326	24.0	13.5	3.7
2018	327	27.0	12.1	4.9
2019	401	30.0	13.3	5.5
2020	393	27.0	14.5	5.6
2021	376	28.5	13.1	4.8
2022	382	27.3	13.9	5
2023	366	27.3	13.4	9.3

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 West Friendship Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$409 (2.9%)	$13,543 (97.1%)	$13,952
2020	$479 (3.1%)	$14,915 (96.9%)	$15,394
2021	$736 (4.5%)	$15,716 (95.5%)	$16,452
2022	$868 (5.0%)	$16,537 (95.0%)	$17,405
2023	$769 (4.1%)	$18,054 (95.9%)	$18,823

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Friendship 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 56^th of 853 Elementary schools	Ranks 31^st 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	401	366	8.7%
African American	16	21	31.3%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	88	74	15.9%
Hispanic	11	21	90.9%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	261	220	15.7%
Two or More Races	24	29	20.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	5.5%	9.3%	3.8%

Schools Near West Friendship 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
West Friendship Elementary	Public	K-5	12500 Frederick Road	West Friendship	21794	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5512	366	27	13.4	9.3%	220 (60.1%)	21 (5.7%)	21 (5.7%)	74 (20.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	29 (7.9%)	96.1	27^th of 859 public elementary schools	96.9%		95.6	31^st of 855 public elementary schools	96.4%	4	77.5	66.1	65.2	69.8	73.2	85.2	88.2	82.0	63.8	$18,823	$769	$18,054
Manor Woods Elementary	Public	K-5	11575 Frederick Rd	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7165	662	49	13.4	11.9%	243 (36.7%)	43 (6.5%)	42 (6.3%)	281 (42.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	50 (7.6%)	95.1	37^th of 859 public elementary schools	95.7%		95.2	35^th of 855 public elementary schools	95.9%	2	79.4	68.8	69.0	72.2	79.2	78.6	72.4	76.5	51.0	$16,634	$695	$15,939
Triadelphia Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	13400 Triadelphia Rd	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2560	605	44	13.7	4.8%	248 (41.0%)	51 (8.4%)	29 (4.8%)	229 (37.9%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	45 (7.4%)	95.5	32^nd of 859 public elementary schools	96.3%		95.6	32^nd of 855 public elementary schools	96.3%		83.5	76.7	62.6	73.1	87.6	72.1	80.9	80.1	51.5	$17,230	$766	$16,464
Bushy Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	14601 Carrs Mill Rd	Glenwood	21738	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-5500	621	46	13.4	7.9%	421 (67.8%)	39 (6.3%)	45 (7.2%)	81 (13.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.6%)	94.1	46^th of 859 public elementary schools	94.6%		95.9	29^th of 855 public elementary schools	96.6%	17	72.2	74.0	70.4	72.2	79.4	90.0	63.3	77.6	48.0	$17,841	$782	$17,058
Waverly Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10220 Wetherburn Rd	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2819	867	63	13.8	10.0%	239 (27.6%)	69 (8.0%)	34 (3.9%)	474 (54.7%)	6 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (5.2%)	96.2	26^th of 859 public elementary schools	97.0%		96.3	25^th of 855 public elementary schools	97.1%	1	76.0	64.2	72.3	70.6	80.6	84.2	77.8	80.8	58.2	$16,596	$769	$15,827
Dayton Oaks Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4691 Ten Oaks Rd	Dayton	21036	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-1571	783	58	13.4	7.5%	369 (47.1%)	73 (9.3%)	51 (6.5%)	215 (27.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (9.3%)	93.3	54^th of 859 public elementary schools	93.7%		92.8	60^th of 855 public elementary schools	93.0%	6	76.1	60.9	63.0	66.9	79.9	75.0	69.7	75.1	50.4	$17,441	$696	$16,745
Centennial Lane Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3825 Centennial Ln	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2800	698	50	14.0	12.8%	228 (32.7%)	53 (7.6%)	37 (5.3%)	317 (45.4%)	5 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	57 (8.2%)	93.6	50^th of 859 public elementary schools	94.2%		93.3	54^th of 855 public elementary schools	93.7%	4	70.1	62.3	69.4	67.4	77.4	70.8	79.0	75.8	52.9	$15,271	$691	$14,581
Clarksville Elementary	Public	K-5	12041 Clarksville Pike	Clarksville	21029	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-7050	581	42	13.9	18.8%	155 (26.7%)	122 (21.0%)	54 (9.3%)	222 (38.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.8%)	94	47^th of 859 public elementary schools	94.5%		91.9	63^rd of 855 public elementary schools	92.6%	16	80.5	71.6	59.8	70.1	79.0	72.7	71.6	74.2	52.6	$17,129	$1,190	$15,939
St. Johns Lane Elementary	Public	K-5	2960 Saint Johns Ln	Ellicott City	21042	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(410) 313-2813	641	45	14.4	18.4%	255 (39.8%)	89 (13.9%)	43 (6.7%)	216 (33.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (5.6%)	90.9	70^th of 859 public elementary schools	91.9%		90	82^nd of 855 public elementary schools	90.4%	12	68.8	59.0	63.2	63.5	69.4	74.4	71.0	71.6	45.6	$16,108	$760	$15,349
Longfellow Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5470 Hesperus Dr	Columbia	21044	Howard County	Howard County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(410) 313-6879	478	38	12.5	46.9%	104 (21.8%)	165 (34.5%)	129 (27.0%)	37 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (9.0%)	51.9	363^rd of 859 public elementary schools	57.7%		40.4	456^th of 855 public elementary schools	46.7%	93	43.1	28.2	42.3	37.9	54.3	42.3	40.0	45.5	21.4	$19,579	$1,585	$17,994

West Friendship Elementary

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Rank History for West Friendship Elementary

Rank History for all students at West Friendship Elementary

Rank History for Female students at West Friendship Elementary

Rank History for Male students at West Friendship Elementary

Rank History for Asian students at West Friendship Elementary

Rank History for White students at West Friendship Elementary

Review counts

Enrollment information for West Friendship Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at West Friendship Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio West Friendship Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for West Friendship Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on West Friendship Elementary

Rankings

Student Body

Schools Near West Friendship Elementary