Enrollment
109
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Edgewater, MD
Central Special School
Federal NCES profile for Central Special School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240006000056
👥 S:T ratio 80
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Special School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Maryland schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Maryland.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Edgewater · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 5:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 47.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Special School has class sizes smaller than 98% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Special School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Edgewater, MD.
School address
District: Anne Arundel County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240006000056 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
5:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-66% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.9%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Special School compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Special School
Central Special School is a small combined-grade school in Edgewater, Maryland, enrolling 109 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 5:1, Central Special School is leaner than roughly 98% of Maryland schools and 66% under the state's 14.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 47.9% lands close to the Maryland typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 96% of Maryland schools, with 109 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Among 19 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #17, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 70/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Edgewater's public schools, it stands alongside Edgewater Elementary (577 students): Central Special School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (5:1 vs 15.6:1).
Anne Arundel County Public Schools also operates Glen Burnie High (2,226 students) and North County High (2,161 students) alongside Central Special School.
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 Central Special School compares
Central Special School on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 5:1 | ▼ 66% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.9% | ▼ 2% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 109 | top 96% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
5:1
Leaner classes than 98% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
109
Bigger than 11% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
5:1
students per teacher
- 66% 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
45.9%
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
$16,620
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 44.0%
Hispanic or Latino 22.9%
African American 22.0%
Asian 7.3%
Two or More 3.7%
Largest group: White at 44.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.9, Central Special School is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, which includes Central Special School.
$16,620
Per student
-19%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.4%
State 32.3%
Federal 11.4%
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 Central Special School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glen Burnie High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North County High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Broadneck High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Annapolis High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Meade High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Special School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,226
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,161
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 2,143
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,075
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,045
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools in Edgewater
2 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 (~109 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Special School's federal record.
- Compare Central Special School against another school. Compare schools
- Anne Arundel 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 Central Special School
How many students attend Central Special School?
Central Special School has 109 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Edgewater, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Special School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Special School is 5:1, which is 66% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 68% 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 Central Special School?
47.9% of students at Central Special School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Special School?
The largest demographic group at Central Special School is White at 44.0% of enrollment, in Edgewater, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Special School?
Central Special School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Central Special School rank among schools in Edgewater?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Special School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Edgewater, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Edgewater on the city page.
Is Central Special School a good school?
Central Special School earns 37/100 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 Anne Arundel County Public Schools?
Besides Central Special School, Anne Arundel County Public Schools also operates Glen Burnie High (2,226 students), North County High (2,161 students), and Broadneck High (2,143 students). See the Anne Arundel 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.