Enrollment
518
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Berlin, MD
Buckingham Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Buckingham Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240072001325
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buckingham Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Maryland schools.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Berlin · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.5:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 57.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Buckingham Elementary has class sizes smaller than 85% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buckingham Elementary ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Berlin, MD.
School address
District: Worcester County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240072001325 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.5:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.3%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buckingham Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buckingham Elementary
Buckingham Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Berlin, Maryland, enrolling 518 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.5:1, Buckingham Elementary is leaner than roughly 85% of Maryland schools and 21% under the state's 14.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 57.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 518 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maryland median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 315 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #192.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and African American (24%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 518 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Berlin's public schools, it stands alongside Showell Elementary (638 students): Buckingham Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.5:1 vs 12.5:1).
Worcester County Public Schools also operates Stephen Decatur High (1,462 students) and Stephen Decatur Middle (665 students) alongside Buckingham 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 Buckingham Elementary compares
Buckingham 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 | 11.5:1 | ▼ 21% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.3% | ▲ 17% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 518 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.5:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
518
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% above the Maryland average of 49.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.5:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 15% in Maryland - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
29.7%
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
$21,280
per pupil, district-wide
- above Maryland avg of $20,446
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 518 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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
White 55.6%
African American 23.7%
Two or More 10.8%
Hispanic or Latino 8.5%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 55.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.6, Buckingham Elementary is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Worcester County Public Schools, which includes Buckingham Elementary.
$21,280
Per student
+4%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 67.9%
State 23.5%
Federal 8.6%
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 Buckingham Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Decatur High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stephen Decatur Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Showell Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Berlin Intermediate | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ocean City Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buckingham Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,462
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 665
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 638
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 613
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 566
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar other schools in Berlin
1 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 (~518 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buckingham Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Buckingham Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Worcester 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 Buckingham Elementary
How many students attend Buckingham Elementary?
Buckingham Elementary has 518 students enrolled. It is a public school in Berlin, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buckingham Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Buckingham Elementary is 11.5:1, which is 21% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 27% 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 Buckingham Elementary?
57.3% of students at Buckingham Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buckingham Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Buckingham Elementary is White at 55.6% of enrollment, in Berlin, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buckingham Elementary?
Buckingham Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Buckingham Elementary rank among public schools in Berlin?
By Resource Investment Index, Buckingham Elementary ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Berlin, 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 Berlin on the city page.
Is Buckingham Elementary a good school?
Buckingham Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% 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 Worcester County Public Schools?
Besides Buckingham Elementary, Worcester County Public Schools also operates Stephen Decatur High (1,462 students), Stephen Decatur Middle (665 students), and Showell Elementary (638 students). See the Worcester 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.