Enrollment
342
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Riverdale, MD
Beacon Heights Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Beacon Heights Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240051000975
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Beacon Heights Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Maryland schools.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Riverdale · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.7:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 75.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Beacon Heights Elementary has class sizes smaller than 90% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Beacon Heights Elementary ranks #2 of 4 schools in Riverdale, MD.
School address
District: Prince George's County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240051000975 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.7:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.1%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Beacon Heights Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Beacon Heights Elementary
Beacon Heights Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Riverdale, Maryland, enrolling 342 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.7:1, Beacon Heights Elementary is leaner than roughly 90% of Maryland schools and 26% under the state's 14.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 75.1% of students qualify for free meals, 53% above the Maryland average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 342 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 187 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #85.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (78%) and African American (13%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 342 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Riverdale's public schools, it stands alongside College Park Academy (682 students): Beacon Heights Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.7:1 vs 20.1:1).
Prince George's County Public Schools also operates High Point High (3,012 students) and Charles Herbert Flowers High (2,712 students) alongside Beacon Heights Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Beacon Heights Elementary compares
Beacon Heights Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.7:1 | ▼ 26% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.1% | ▲ 53% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 342 | top 81% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.7:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
342
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% above the Maryland average of 49.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.7:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 10% in Maryland - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
41.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$19,234
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 342 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 78.1%
African American 12.9%
White 5.3%
Asian 2.3%
Two or More 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 78.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.0, Beacon Heights Elementary is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Prince George's County Public Schools, which includes Beacon Heights Elementary.
$19,234
Per student
-6%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.8%
State 51.1%
Federal 12.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Beacon Heights Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Point High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Charles Herbert Flowers High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parkdale High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bowie High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eleanor Roosevelt High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Beacon Heights Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,012
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,712
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,588
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 2,580
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,544
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Riverdale
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~342 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Beacon Heights Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Beacon Heights Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Prince George's County Public Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Beacon Heights Elementary
How many students attend Beacon Heights Elementary?
Beacon Heights Elementary has 342 students enrolled. It is a public school in Riverdale, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Beacon Heights Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Beacon Heights Elementary is 10.7:1, which is 26% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 32% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Beacon Heights Elementary?
75.1% of students at Beacon Heights Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Beacon Heights Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Beacon Heights Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 78.1% of enrollment, in Riverdale, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Beacon Heights Elementary?
Beacon Heights Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Beacon Heights Elementary rank among schools in Riverdale?
By Resource Investment Index, Beacon Heights Elementary ranks #2 of 4 schools in Riverdale, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Riverdale on the city page.
Is Beacon Heights Elementary a good school?
Beacon Heights Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Maryland schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Prince George's County Public Schools?
Besides Beacon Heights Elementary, Prince George's County Public Schools also operates High Point High (3,012 students), Charles Herbert Flowers High (2,712 students), and Parkdale High (2,588 students). See the Prince George's County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.