Enrollment
541
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lusby, MD
Dowell Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Dowell Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240015001102
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dowell Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Lusby · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 34.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Dowell Elementary has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dowell Elementary ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Lusby, MD.
School address
District: Calvert County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240015001102 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.7%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dowell Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dowell Elementary
Dowell Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Lusby, Maryland, enrolling 541 students.
At 13.9:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 541 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maryland median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 1,382 Maryland schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 267 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #260, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 541 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Lusby's public schools, it stands alongside Patuxent Appeal Elementary Campus (641 students): Dowell Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.9:1 vs 13.6:1).
Calvert County Public Schools also operates Northern High (1,478 students) and Huntingtown High School (1,311 students) alongside Dowell 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 Dowell Elementary compares
Dowell 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 | 13.9:1 | ▼ 4% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.7% | ▼ 29% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 541 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
541
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 42% in Maryland - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
38.6%
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
$21,252
per pupil, district-wide
- above Maryland avg of $20,446
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 541 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 68.9%
Two or More 12.2%
African American 9.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.8%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 68.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.6, Dowell Elementary is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Calvert County Public Schools, which includes Dowell Elementary.
$21,252
Per student
+4%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.7%
State 54.8%
Federal 5.5%
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 Dowell Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Huntingtown High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Calvert High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Patuxent High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northern Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dowell Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,478
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,311
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,080
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 928
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 745
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools in Lusby
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 (~541 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dowell Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Dowell Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Calvert 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 Dowell Elementary
How many students attend Dowell Elementary?
Dowell Elementary has 541 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lusby, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dowell Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Dowell Elementary is 13.9:1, which is 4% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 11% 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 Dowell Elementary?
34.7% of students at Dowell Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dowell Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Dowell Elementary is White at 68.9% of enrollment, in Lusby, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dowell Elementary?
Dowell Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Dowell Elementary rank among public schools in Lusby?
By Resource Investment Index, Dowell Elementary ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Lusby, 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 Lusby on the city page.
Is Dowell Elementary a good school?
Dowell Elementary earns 29/100 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 Calvert County Public Schools?
Besides Dowell Elementary, Calvert County Public Schools also operates Northern High (1,478 students), Huntingtown High School (1,311 students), and Calvert High (1,080 students). See the Calvert 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.