Homestead/Wakefield Elementary

Homestead/Wakefield Elementary is a primary school of substantial scale in Bel Air, Maryland, overseen by Harford County Public Schools, teacheing 1,071 students in grades pre-K through 5. By comparison, Maryland's public schools average about 481 students each, so Homestead/Wakefield Elementary sits 123% bigger than that benchmark.

Across the 55 schools in Harford County Public Schools (37,771 students total), Homestead/Wakefield Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Looking at the student body, Homestead/Wakefield Elementary reports that 69% of the student body identifies as White. Other groups include 10% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 7% multiracial, 6% Black. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

On the income-and-resources front, On paper, Homestead/Wakefield Elementary has 62 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 17.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.8:1, putting Homestead/Wakefield Elementary higher than the state norm the norm. Roughly 18% of students at Homestead/Wakefield Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, Harford County runs at roughly 39%, so the school's eligibility rate is lower than the surrounding baseline.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Homestead/Wakefield Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 63.4% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 74.1%.

Across the wider county, community-level numbers for Harford County indicate median household earnings sit near $112,265, roughly 40% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 5%. Homestead/Wakefield Elementary is one of 55 public schools in Harford County (combined enrollment of about 37,771 students).

The closest other public school is Bel Air Middle, roughly 0.2 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Homestead/Wakefield Elementary ranks 1st on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 58.4%.

Geographically, the school is in a commuter-belt area.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count rose 10%: 974 students in 2018 compared to 1,071 in 2025. The White share of enrollment declined from 74% to 69% over that span.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.