Cradlerock Elementary

Set in Columbia, Maryland, Cradlerock Elementary is an average-sized elementary school, run under Howard County Public Schools. It teaches 453 students across grades pre-K through 5.

Within Howard County Public Schools, which oversees 77 schools and 57,565 students, Cradlerock Elementary is one campus in the system.

In terms of who attends, Cradlerock Elementary shows that the most-represented group is Black (48%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Beyond that, the school reports 21% Hispanic, 18% White, 9% multiracial, 4% Asian. That is noticeably more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 20%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Cradlerock Elementary has 44 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 10.3:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.8:1, putting Cradlerock Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 56% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, often used as a Title I proxy. That share is noticeably above Howard County's rate of about 27%.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Cradlerock Elementary performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 41.3%, the actual is 34.8%, a residual of -6.5 points.

Across the wider county, census data for Howard County shows the typical household earns roughly $149,763 per year, roughly 65% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 4%. Across Howard County's 78 public schools (combined enrollment of about 57,565 students), Cradlerock Elementary is one campus in the mix.

Lake Elkhorn Middle is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.1 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Cradlerock Elementary. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Cradlerock Elementary at 7th of 9; the average score across the group is 47.0%.

The campus sits in a downtown setting.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 13%: 519 students in 2018 compared to 453 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment increased from 14% to 21% over that span. Class-load math has tightened: from 11.9:1 in 2018 to 10.3:1 in 2025.

On this page, the feed for Cradlerock Elementary typically covers sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.