Enrollment
435
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 240009000256
Dorothy I. Height Elementary — Baltimore, MD
Federal NCES profile for Dorothy I. Height Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 28/100.
👥 Class size 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Baltimore City Public Schools · Maryland
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 14.4:1 Maryland avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.7%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+75% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dorothy I. Height Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Dorothy I. Height Elementary reports 435 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 20.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 22% above the Maryland state mean of 14.4:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 10% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 85.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 75% above the Maryland average and 65% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 435 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 48.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Baltimore City Public Schools spends $23,862 per pupil district-wide, above the Maryland average of $22,498 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 33.3% from local sources (property taxes), 51.4% from the state, and 15.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Dorothy I. Height Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Maryland state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.5:1 | ▲ 22% | 14.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.7% | ▲ 75% | 49.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 435 | top 33% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
85.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 75% 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
17.5:1
students per teacher
— 22% above state mean
Top 90% in Maryland — lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
48.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$23,862
per pupil, district-wide
— above Maryland avg of $22,498
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 435 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
Enrollment 435 Top 33% in Maryland — larger than 67% of 1,383 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 20.0
Students per teacher 17.5:1 +22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 85.7% +75% vs state
NCES ID 240009000256
Student demographics
African American 84.6%
Hispanic or Latino 6.7%
White 3.9%
Asian 3.0%
Two or More 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 84.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 435:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 48.0%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Baltimore City Public Schools, which includes Dorothy I. Height Elementary.
$23,862
Per student
+6%
vs Maryland
Avg $22,498
+22%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 33.3%
State 51.4%
Federal 15.3%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,714
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,632
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,470
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Enrollment
- 1,399
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,371
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
Similar other schools in Baltimore
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Roland Park Elementary/Middle
Standard public school
1,371 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Lakeland Elementary/Middle
Standard public school
1,070 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
John Ruhrah Elementary/Middle
Standard public school
1,061 students 11.5:1 students per teacher
Academy for College and Career Exploration
Standard public school
967 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Hampstead Hill Academy
Standard public school
933 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
The Belair-Edison School
Standard public school
911 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Dorothy I. Height Elementary
How many students attend Dorothy I. Height Elementary?
Dorothy I. Height Elementary has 435 students enrolled. It is a other school in Baltimore, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dorothy I. Height Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Dorothy I. Height Elementary is 17.5:1, which is 22% higher than the Maryland average of 14.4:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dorothy I. Height Elementary?
85.7% of students at Dorothy I. Height Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dorothy I. Height Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Dorothy I. Height Elementary is African American at 84.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in Baltimore, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dorothy I. Height Elementary?
Dorothy I. Height Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.