Enrollment
345
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 240051001053
H. W. Wheatley Early Childhood Center — Capitol Heights, MD
Federal NCES profile for H. W. Wheatley Early Childhood Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 44/100.
👥 Class size 70
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 31
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: Prince George'S County 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)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.6:1
vs 14.4:1 Maryland avg
-47% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.2%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How H. W. Wheatley Early Childhood Center 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
H. W. Wheatley Early Childhood Center reports 345 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 42.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 7.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 47% below the Maryland state mean of 14.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 52% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 54.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 11% above the Maryland average and 5% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 345 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1.
On the finance side, the surrounding Prince George'S County Public Schools spends $21,751 per pupil district-wide, below the Maryland average of $22,498 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 36.8% from local sources (property taxes), 51.1% from the state, and 12.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D), calculated from 3 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 H. W. Wheatley Early Childhood Center 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 | 7.6:1 | ▼ 47% | 14.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.2% | ▲ 11% | 49.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 345 | top 20% | — | — |
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
54.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 11% 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
7.6:1
students per teacher
— 47% below state mean
Top 3% in Maryland — lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Funding equity
$21,751
per pupil, district-wide
— below 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 345 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 345 Top 20% in Maryland — larger than 80% of 1,383 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 42.0
Students per teacher 7.6:1 -47% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 54.2% +11% vs state
NCES ID 240051001053
Student demographics
African American 79.4%
Hispanic or Latino 14.2%
Two or More 3.5%
Asian 1.2%
White 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 79.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 345:1
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Prince George'S County Public Schools, which includes H. W. Wheatley Early Childhood Center.
$21,751
Per student
-3%
vs Maryland
Avg $22,498
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 36.8%
State 51.1%
Federal 12.1%
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
- 3,012
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Enrollment
- 2,712
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Enrollment
- 2,588
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Enrollment
- 2,580
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Enrollment
- 2,544
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
Similar other schools in Capitol Heights
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
William W. Hall Academy
Standard public school
444 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Carmody Hills Elementary
Standard public school
389 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
John H. Bayne Elementary
Standard public school
339 students 14:1 students per teacher
Capitol Heights Elementary
Standard public school
317 students 10.7:1 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 H. W. Wheatley Early Childhood Center
How many students attend H. W. Wheatley Early Childhood Center?
H. W. Wheatley Early Childhood Center has 345 students enrolled. It is a other school in Capitol Heights, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at H. W. Wheatley Early Childhood Center?
The student-teacher ratio at H. W. Wheatley Early Childhood Center is 7.6:1, which is 47% lower than the Maryland average of 14.4:1 and 52% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at H. W. Wheatley Early Childhood Center?
54.2% of students at H. W. Wheatley Early Childhood Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of H. W. Wheatley Early Childhood Center?
The largest demographic group at H. W. Wheatley Early Childhood Center is African American at 79.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Capitol Heights, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for H. W. Wheatley Early Childhood Center?
H. W. Wheatley Early Childhood Center has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.