Enrollment
485
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Silver Spring, MD
Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240048090480
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #27 of 31
- schools in Silver Spring · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.5:1
- students per teacher
- 58.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary ranks #27 of 31 schools in Silver Spring, MD.
School address
District: Montgomery County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240048090480 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.2%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary
Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Silver Spring, Maryland, enrolling 485 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 58.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 485 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maryland median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 308 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #205.
Its student body is led by African American (47%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 485 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Silver Spring's public schools, it stands alongside Joann Leleck at Broad Acres Elementary (756 students): Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.5:1 vs 10.8:1).
Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students) and Walter Johnson High (3,016 students) alongside Dr. Charles R. Drew 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 Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary compares
Dr. Charles R. Drew 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 | 13.5:1 | ▼ 7% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.2% | ▲ 19% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 485 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
485
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 36% in Maryland - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
30.1%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 485 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 46.6%
Hispanic or Latino 32.0%
Asian 10.3%
White 7.6%
Two or More 3.5%
Largest group: African American at 46.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.3, Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montgomery County Public Schools, which includes Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary.
$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 Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary 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 | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gaithersburg High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Seneca Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary'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 other schools in Silver Spring
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Joann Leleck at Broad Acres Elementary
Standard public school
756 students 10.8:1 students per teacher
Arcola Elementary
Standard public school
747 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Burnt Mills Elementary
Standard public school
747 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Greencastle Elementary
Standard public school
722 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Sargent Shriver Elementary
Standard public school
697 students 10.4:1 students per teacher
Galway Elementary
Standard public school
695 students 11.4:1 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 (~485 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary 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 Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary
How many students attend Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary?
Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary has 485 students enrolled. It is a public school in Silver Spring, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary is 13.5:1, which is 7% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 14% 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 Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary?
58.2% of students at Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary is African American at 46.6% of enrollment, in Silver Spring, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary?
Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical 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 Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary rank among schools in Silver Spring?
By Resource Investment Index, Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary ranks #27 of 31 schools in Silver Spring, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Silver Spring on the city page.
Is Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary a good school?
Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary earns 36/100 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 Montgomery County Public Schools?
Besides Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary, 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.