Enrollment
573
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Elkridge, MD
Ducketts Lane
Federal NCES profile for Ducketts Lane, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240042001717
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ducketts Lane earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Maryland schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Maryland schools.
- #3 of 4
- schools in Elkridge · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.6:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 55.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Ducketts Lane has class sizes smaller than 91% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ducketts Lane ranks #3 of 4 schools in Elkridge, MD.
School address
District: Howard County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240042001717 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.6:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.8%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ducketts Lane compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ducketts Lane
Ducketts Lane is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Elkridge, Maryland, enrolling 573 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.6:1, Ducketts Lane is leaner than roughly 91% of Maryland schools and 27% under the state's 14.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.8% lands close to the Maryland typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 573 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maryland median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 328 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #50.
Its student body is led by African American (34%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 382 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Elkridge's public schools, it stands alongside Elkridge Elementary (798 students): Ducketts Lane is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.6:1 vs 14.3:1).
Howard County Public Schools also operates Marriotts Ridge High (1,741 students) and Reservoir High (1,597 students) alongside Ducketts Lane.
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 Ducketts Lane compares
Ducketts Lane on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.6:1 | ▼ 27% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.8% | ▲ 14% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 573 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.6:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
573
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
10.6:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 9% in Maryland - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
27.6%
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
$17,971
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 382 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 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
African American 34.0%
Hispanic or Latino 33.0%
Asian 13.4%
White 10.8%
Two or More 8.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 34.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.9, Ducketts Lane is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Howard County Public Schools, which includes Ducketts Lane.
$17,971
Per student
-12%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.7%
State 29.5%
Federal 7.7%
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 Ducketts Lane Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marriotts Ridge High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Reservoir High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Atholton High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Howard High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mount Hebron High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ducketts Lane's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,741
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,597
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,540
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,493
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,455
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools in Elkridge
3 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 (~573 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ducketts Lane's federal record.
- Compare Ducketts Lane against another school. Compare schools
- Howard 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 Ducketts Lane
How many students attend Ducketts Lane?
Ducketts Lane has 573 students enrolled. It is a public school in Elkridge, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ducketts Lane?
The student-teacher ratio at Ducketts Lane is 10.6:1, which is 27% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 32% 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 Ducketts Lane?
55.8% of students at Ducketts Lane are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ducketts Lane?
The largest demographic group at Ducketts Lane is African American at 34.0% of enrollment, in Elkridge, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ducketts Lane?
Ducketts Lane has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Ducketts Lane rank among schools in Elkridge?
By Resource Investment Index, Ducketts Lane ranks #3 of 4 schools in Elkridge, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Elkridge on the city page.
Is Ducketts Lane a good school?
Ducketts Lane earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Maryland schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Howard County Public Schools?
Besides Ducketts Lane, Howard County Public Schools also operates Marriotts Ridge High (1,741 students), Reservoir High (1,597 students), and Atholton High (1,540 students). See the Howard 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.