Laurel Woods Elementary School

The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is the school district that manages and runs the public schools of Howard County, Maryland. It operates under the supervision of an elected, eight-member Board of Education. Jolene Mosley is the chair of the board. William J. Barnes has served as the superintendent since July 1, 2024.

The district operates 78 schools: 42 elementary schools, 20 middle schools, 13 high schools, and 3 special education schools/education centers. As of September 2024, a total of 57,565 students were enrolled. It is headquartered in the Columbia, Maryland census-designated place; the facility has an Ellicott City mailing address.

Howard County consistently earns high marks in school performance metrics such as test scores and graduation rates. It gets high percentages at all levels of the Maryland School Assessments. In 2007, Forbes magazine rated Howard County as one of the ten most cost-efficient school systems in the United States.