If you're interested in living within Baltimore City limits, you could try to find something up in the Roland Park EMS district - there are some smaller SFHs with yards and spacious rowhouses in Keswick and Evergreen, and you would be sending your kid to one of the best elementary/middle schools in the city (and then hopefully on to City/Poly/BSA, which are all well-regarded citywide public high schools). Something like this. City houses tend to have lower purchase prices but higher property tax bills than comparable houses in Baltimore County.

I don't know as much about the county (and surrounding suburban counties) as some other folks on here will, but I have heard very good things about the family-friendliness of Catonsville, Rodgers Forge/Towson, Ellicott City, and Columbia. Hopefully others can fill you in on those.