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Salisbury, Maryland - 25 schools
An equity score of 72/100 ranks Wicomico County Public Schools #7 of 24 districts in Maryland (state average 52). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $17,780 per pupil, Wicomico County Public Schools ranks #13 of 24 Maryland districts by per-pupil spending (Maryland districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
14,900
Total Enrollment
25
Schools
$17,780
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Wicomico County Public Schools operates 25 public schools serving 14,900 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Maryland. The school portfolio breaks down into 13 combined, 6 elementary, 4 high, 2 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Wicomico County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,780 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 24 Maryland districts by per-pupil spending. See how Maryland compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 19.7% local, 66.2% state, and 14.1% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 72/100, ranked #7 of 24 in Maryland against a state average of 52, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 4 of 25 schools offering Advanced Placement (26 AP courses district-wide), a 398.3:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 33.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 38.0% White, 36.7% African American, 14.1% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Bennett Middle, with a diversity index of 72.2/100.
Its largest campus is James M. Bennett High, enrolling 1,474 students (9% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Wicomico County Evening High, at 35 students, a 42x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Wicomico County Public Schools school enrollment varies 42× across entities
Wicomico County Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 35 students (lowest) to 1,474 students (highest), a spread of 1,439 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Wicomico County Public Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 53.8% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Wicomico County Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 398:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Wicomico County Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 33.9% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Comparisons are relative to Wicomico County Public Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Nearby Districts in Maryland
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
How many schools are in Wicomico County Public Schools?
Wicomico County Public Schools has 25 schools, including 4 high, 13 combined, 2 middle, 6 elementary. Total enrollment is 14,900 students.
How much does Wicomico County Public Schools spend per student?
Wicomico County Public Schools spends $17,780 per student. The district has an equity score of 72/100, ranking #7 in Maryland.
What is the demographic composition of Wicomico County Public Schools?
Wicomico County Public Schools students are 38.0% White, 36.7% African American, 14.1% Hispanic or Latino, 2.4% Asian, averaged across 25 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Wicomico County Public Schools?
Wicomico County Public Schools has an equity score of 72/100, ranking #7 out of 24 districts in Maryland.