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Our Mission

The Highlands School exists to identify and serve children who have the potential for average or above average achievement, ages five (5) and older (grades K-8) who are struggling to learn by conventional methods and who manifest difficulties in one or more areas of skill development. These areas include

• language - receptive (auditory processing) and expressive (communication)
• reading and spelling
• perceptual motor integration - (writing/copying tasks)
• organization, study, and social skills

• Children of average or above intelligence displaying skill deficits are capable of learning at or above their age level, if provided appropriate teaching methods and techniques.
• Skill deficits are not always attributable to a minimal amount of intelligence or obvious sensory (visual or hearing) impairment. A failure to learn is because a unique learning style has not yet been discovered.
• Before underachieving children can begin to make progress, they must have a positive self-image. This is achieved by structuring learning activities for success rather than failure.
• Skill deficits and academic weakness must be strengthened in order to realize success in school and to function effectively in the community. To this end the school day is devoted to small group instruction as well as individual therapy sessions by professionals trained in their discipline.
• Behavior can be maintained through classroom structure, the use of positive reinforcement and social skills training.
• Parents are partners in the education of their children. It is important to maintain a coordinated effort between home and school at all times in order to serve the needs of the students. The Highlands School will provide meaningful information, support and encouragement to parents through conferences and general meetings.

Winter, 1993.
The driving force behind The Highlands School becoming established is its Steering Committee Members: Beth Maahs-Hoagberg, Annette Maurits, Joanne Parrott, and Vicki Whitaker.

Little did each member realize that as time passed throughout the last decade and a half that each of their singular paths associated with learning disability experiences and individual dreams of founding a school for children with learning disabilities would converge later in life to join in a common goal to have their separate dreams become a reality.

Through their past experiences, be it as parent, tutor, or advocate, each Steering Committee member has observed and felt the struggle and emptiness inside these children as they attempted to learn by conventional means.

Knowing that these children can meet success has lead them together to this place in time.

They met one wintry Saturday for a casual lunch in a restaurant. They chatted about individual experiences that touched their lives and related to helping children with learning disabilities.

The conversation became focused on establishing a school. One of the women commented that there was a location available with existing classrooms. By dessert time the conversation was serious, but with excitement.

Individual dreams have piqued to one solid force of commitment, opening the doors of The Highlands School.

Our History Back to Top


The Highlands School is a private school designed to remediate students with learning differences including, reading and math disabilities, speech and language deficiencies, and attention deficit disorders , who have average to above average academic potential, but who are struggling to learn by conventional teaching methods. The children who enroll in our school are not achieving academically at their age level and/or manifest difficulties in one or more areas of skill development, including language, reading and spelling, perceptual motor integration and organization, social and/or study skills. It is The Highlands School’s goal to help each student discover how they learn, bring them up to grade level and then return them to a more traditional educational setting, public or private.

The school is approved by the Maryland State Board of Education and offers a full-time school-year program and a 5-week summer program. We are members of the International Dyslexia Association (IDA),the Learning Disabilities Association (LDA), Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (CHADD), the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and the Association of Independent Maryland Schools (AIMS).

Currently located in the quiet, rural Harford County community of Street, Maryland, which is approximately 10 miles north of Bel Air, Maryland, and about five miles south of York County, Pennsylvania, The Highlands School is housed in an old, traditional school building, the former Highland Elementary School. The building and its surrounding grounds have been maintained over the years by the Highland Community Association, and currently accommodates a Sheriffs' Office, a Senior Citizen's Center, Harford County Public Library annex, Mason-Dixon Community Services, The Children's Center of North Harford, and the U.S. Post Office. We occupy the six classrooms on the second floor of the building. It is the only school of this nature serving the geographical area of northeast Maryland (Harford County, Cecil County, and northern Baltimore County). The school also serves students from York County, Pennsylvania. We occupy the six classrooms on the third floor of the building. Our current facility can accommodate approximately 40 students.

The Highlands School was incorporated on November 22, 1993 and received its 501 (c) (3) status on February 27, 1996. We opened in September 1996 for fourth through eighth grades (4-8) with an enrollment of six students. In 1997-98 we more than doubled in enrollment, added third grade and initiated a Summer and a part-time school year program as well as our regular full-time school year program. In the 1998-99 school year we served 32 students in second through eighth grade (2-8). Our Summer 1999 Program filled to capacity and we had a substantial waiting list. With the opening of our fourth classroom in January 2000, we are at capacity for this facility.

In September 2007 we will re-locate to our new facility at 2409 Creswell Road, Bel Air, Maryland. Wit the addition of kindergarten and first grade, out new school capacity will grow to accommodate 125 students.

The Highlands School celebrated its 11th Anniversary at Awards Night 2007!

Please call the school to inquire about available positions.

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