Enrollment
516
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Leonardtown, MD
Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240060001732
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Leonardtown · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- students per teacher
- 15.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Leonardtown, MD.
School address
District: St. Mary's County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240060001732 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.0%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary
Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Leonardtown, Maryland, enrolling 516 students.
At 15.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Maryland median, within a few percentage points of the 14.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 15.0% free-meal eligibility runs 69% below the Maryland average.
With 516 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.
Among 205 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #185, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Two or More (9%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 516 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding St. Mary's County Public Schools spends $16,038 per pupil, 22% below the Maryland average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Leonardtown's public schools, it stands alongside Leonardtown Elementary (509 students): Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.2:1 vs 18.9:1).
St. Mary's County Public Schools also operates Leonardtown High (2,118 students) and Great Mills High (1,697 students) alongside Captain Walter Francis Duke 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 Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary compares
Captain Walter Francis Duke 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 | 15.2:1 | ▲ 5% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.0% | ▼ 69% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 516 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
516
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% 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
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 60% in Maryland - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.1%
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
$16,038
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 516 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 72.1%
Two or More 9.1%
African American 8.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.0%
Asian 3.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 72.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.9, Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. Mary's County Public Schools, which includes Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary.
$16,038
Per student
-22%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.1%
State 41.2%
Federal 13.6%
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 Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leonardtown High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Great Mills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chopticon High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Leonardtown Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spring Ridge Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,118
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,697
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,526
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 969
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 913
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar other schools in Leonardtown
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 (~516 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- St. Mary'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 Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary
How many students attend Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary?
Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary has 516 students enrolled. It is a public school in Leonardtown, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary is 15.2:1, which is 5% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary?
15.0% of students at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary is White at 72.1% of enrollment, in Leonardtown, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary?
Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary rank among public schools in Leonardtown?
By Resource Investment Index, Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Leonardtown, 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 Leonardtown on the city page.
Is Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary a good school?
Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median. 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 St. Mary's County Public Schools?
Besides Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary, St. Mary's County Public Schools also operates Leonardtown High (2,118 students), Great Mills High (1,697 students), and Chopticon High (1,526 students). See the St. Mary'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.