Enrollment
680
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · New Market, MD
Blue Heron Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Blue Heron Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 240033001766
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Blue Heron Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Maryland schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in New Market · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 8.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Blue Heron Elementary has class sizes larger than 81% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Blue Heron Elementary ranks #4 of 4 public schools in New Market, MD.
School address
District: Frederick County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240033001766 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
8.2%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-83% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Blue Heron Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Blue Heron Elementary
Blue Heron Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in New Market, Maryland, enrolling 680 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17:1 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 8.2% free-meal eligibility runs 83% below the Maryland average.
Enrollment of 680 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Among 143 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #124, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 680 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Frederick County Public Schools spends $14,981 per pupil, 27% below the Maryland average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Frederick County Public Schools also operates Gov. Thomas Johnson High (2,066 students) and Urbana High (1,989 students) alongside Blue Heron 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 Blue Heron Elementary compares
Blue Heron 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 | 17:1 | ▲ 17% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.2% | ▼ 83% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 680 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
680
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
8.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 83% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 81% in Maryland - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,981
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 680 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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
White 60.7%
Hispanic or Latino 12.1%
Two or More 10.4%
Asian 9.4%
African American 7.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 60.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.2, Blue Heron Elementary is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Frederick County Public Schools, which includes Blue Heron Elementary.
$14,981
Per student
-27%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.4%
State 38.3%
Federal 11.2%
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 Blue Heron Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gov. Thomas Johnson High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Urbana High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Frederick High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tuscarora High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oakdale High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Blue Heron Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,066
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,989
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,821
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,735
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,702
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar elementary 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 (~680 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Blue Heron Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Blue Heron Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Frederick 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 Blue Heron Elementary
How many students attend Blue Heron Elementary?
Blue Heron Elementary has 680 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in New Market, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Blue Heron Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Blue Heron Elementary is 17:1, which is 17% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Blue Heron Elementary?
8.2% of students at Blue Heron Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Blue Heron Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Blue Heron Elementary is White at 60.7% of enrollment, in New Market, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Blue Heron Elementary?
Blue Heron 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 Blue Heron Elementary rank among public schools in New Market?
By Resource Investment Index, Blue Heron Elementary ranks #4 of 4 public schools in New Market, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in New Market on the city page.
Is Blue Heron Elementary a good school?
Blue Heron Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% 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 Frederick County Public Schools?
Besides Blue Heron Elementary, Frederick County Public Schools also operates Gov. Thomas Johnson High (2,066 students), Urbana High (1,989 students), and Frederick High (1,821 students). See the Frederick 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.