Enrollment
65
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Rockville, MD
Carl Sandburg Center
Federal NCES profile for Carl Sandburg Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 240048000799
👥 S:T ratio 85
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carl Sandburg Center earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Maryland schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Maryland.
- #9 of 9
- elementary schools in Rockville · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 3.8:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 71.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Carl Sandburg Center has class sizes smaller than 98% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carl Sandburg Center ranks #9 of 9 elementary schools in Rockville, MD.
School address
District: Montgomery County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240048000799 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
3.8:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-74% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.6%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carl Sandburg Center compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carl Sandburg Center
Carl Sandburg Center is a higher-need, small elementary school in Rockville, Maryland, enrolling 65 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 3.8:1, Carl Sandburg Center is leaner than roughly 98% of Maryland schools and 74% 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 71.6% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 97% of Maryland schools, with 65 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Its student body is led by African American (52%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%) (diversity index 63/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 63.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Rockville's elementary schools, it stands alongside Farmland Elementary (847 students): Carl Sandburg Center is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (3.8:1 vs 16.3:1).
Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students) and Walter Johnson High (3,016 students) alongside Carl Sandburg Center.
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 Carl Sandburg Center compares
Carl Sandburg Center on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 3.8:1 | ▼ 74% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.6% | ▲ 46% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 65 | top 97% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
3.8:1
Leaner classes than 99% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
65
Bigger than 7% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% 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
3.8:1
students per teacher
- 74% below state mean
Top 2% in Maryland - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
63.1%
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
$18,101
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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
African American 52.3%
Hispanic or Latino 27.7%
White 12.3%
Two or More 4.6%
Asian 3.1%
Largest group: African American at 52.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.2, Carl Sandburg Center is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montgomery County Public Schools, which includes Carl Sandburg Center.
$18,101
Per student
-11%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.0%
State 23.7%
Federal 10.3%
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 Carl Sandburg Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery Blair High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Walter Johnson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wheaton High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gaithersburg High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Seneca Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carl Sandburg Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,266
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 3,016
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 2,794
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,441
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 2,409
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar elementary schools in Rockville
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Farmland Elementary
Standard public school
847 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Stonegate Elementary
Standard public school
565 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Flower Valley Elementary
Standard public school
524 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Fallsmead Elementary
Standard public school
512 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Lakewood Elementary
Standard public school
406 students 14:1 students per teacher
Candlewood Elementary
Standard public school
358 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
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 (~65 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~3.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carl Sandburg Center's federal record.
- Compare Carl Sandburg Center against another school. Compare schools
- Montgomery 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 Carl Sandburg Center
How many students attend Carl Sandburg Center?
Carl Sandburg Center has 65 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Rockville, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carl Sandburg Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Carl Sandburg Center is 3.8:1, which is 74% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 76% 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 Carl Sandburg Center?
71.6% of students at Carl Sandburg Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carl Sandburg Center?
The largest demographic group at Carl Sandburg Center is African American at 52.3% of enrollment, in Rockville, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carl Sandburg Center?
Carl Sandburg Center has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Carl Sandburg Center rank among elementary schools in Rockville?
By Resource Investment Index, Carl Sandburg Center ranks #9 of 9 elementary schools in Rockville, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Rockville on the city page.
Is Carl Sandburg Center a good school?
Carl Sandburg Center earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Maryland schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Maryland. 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 Montgomery County Public Schools?
Besides Carl Sandburg Center, Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students), Walter Johnson High (3,016 students), and Wheaton High (2,794 students). See the Montgomery 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.