Enrollment
435
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Baltimore, MD
Dorothy I. Height Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Dorothy I. Height Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240009000256
👥 S:T ratio 13
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dorothy I. Height Elementary earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Maryland schools.
- #163 of 177
- schools in Baltimore · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.8:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 85.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Dorothy I. Height Elementary has class sizes larger than 99% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dorothy I. Height Elementary ranks #163 of 177 schools in Baltimore, MD.
School address
District: Baltimore City Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240009000256 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.8:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+50% 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
What stands out at Dorothy I. Height Elementary
Dorothy I. Height Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Baltimore, Maryland, enrolling 435 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.8:1 is larger than about 99% of Maryland schools and 50% above the 14.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 85.7% of students qualify for free meals, 75% above the Maryland average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 435 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 1,382 Maryland schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 158 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #151, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 435 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Baltimore's public schools, it stands alongside Roland Park Elementary/Middle (1,371 students): Dorothy I. Height Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.8:1 vs 19.6:1).
Baltimore City Public Schools also operates Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High (1,714 students) and Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (1,632 students) alongside Dorothy I. Height 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 Dorothy I. Height Elementary compares
Dorothy I. Height 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 | 21.8:1 | ▲ 50% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.7% | ▲ 75% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 435 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.8:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
435
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
85.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 75% above the Maryland average of 49.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.8:1
students per teacher
- 50% above state mean
Top 99% in Maryland - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
48.0%
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
$18,272
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
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
- 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 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.
Student-body diversity index 27.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.7, Dorothy I. Height Elementary is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Baltimore City Public Schools, which includes Dorothy I. Height Elementary.
$18,272
Per student
-11%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Dorothy I. Height Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Baltimore Polytechnic Institute | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Baltimore City College | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kipp Harmony Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Roland Park Elementary/Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dorothy I. Height Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,714
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,632
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,470
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,399
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,371
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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 19.6:1 students per teacher
Lakeland Elementary/Middle
Standard public school
1,070 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
John Ruhrah Elementary/Middle
Standard public school
1,061 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Academy for College and Career Exploration
Standard public school
967 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Hampstead Hill Academy
Standard public school
933 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
The Belair-Edison School
Standard public school
911 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
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 (~435 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dorothy I. Height Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Dorothy I. Height Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Baltimore City 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 Dorothy I. Height Elementary
How many students attend Dorothy I. Height Elementary?
Dorothy I. Height Elementary has 435 students enrolled. It is a public 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 21.8:1, which is 50% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 39% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
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% of enrollment, in Baltimore, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dorothy I. Height Elementary?
Dorothy I. Height Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower 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 Dorothy I. Height Elementary rank among schools in Baltimore?
By Resource Investment Index, Dorothy I. Height Elementary ranks #163 of 177 schools in Baltimore, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Baltimore on the city page.
Is Dorothy I. Height Elementary a good school?
Dorothy I. Height Elementary earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Baltimore City Public Schools?
Besides Dorothy I. Height Elementary, Baltimore City Public Schools also operates Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High (1,714 students), Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (1,632 students), and Baltimore City College (1,470 students). See the Baltimore City 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.