Enrollment
50
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Frederick, MD
Heather Ridge
Federal NCES profile for Heather Ridge, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 69/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240033001410
👥 S:T ratio 87
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 90
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Heather Ridge earns 69/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Maryland schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Maryland.
- #1 of 18
- schools in Frederick · Resource Index
- 69
- Resource Index · Higher
- 3.3:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 73.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Heather Ridge has class sizes smaller than 99% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Heather Ridge ranks #1 of 18 schools in Frederick, MD.
School address
District: Frederick County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240033001410 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
3.3:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-77% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.3%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Heather Ridge compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Heather Ridge
Heather Ridge is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Frederick, Maryland, enrolling 50 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 3.3:1, Heather Ridge is leaner than roughly 99% of Maryland schools and 77% under the state's 14.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 73.3% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 98% of Maryland schools, with 50 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 99% of the 1,382 Maryland schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by African American (41%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 50 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
The surrounding Frederick County Public Schools spends $14,981 per pupil, 27% below the Maryland average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 49 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 50 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Frederick's public schools, it stands alongside Waverley Elementary (965 students): Heather Ridge is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (3.3:1 vs 14.8:1).
Frederick County Public Schools also operates Gov. Thomas Johnson High (2,066 students) and Urbana High (1,989 students) alongside Heather Ridge.
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 Heather Ridge compares
Heather Ridge on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 3.3:1 | ▼ 77% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.3% | ▲ 50% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 50 | top 98% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
3.3:1
Leaner classes than 99% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
50
Bigger than 5% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% 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
3.3:1
students per teacher
- 77% below state mean
Top 1% in Maryland - lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$14,981
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 50 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 39 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 20.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 98.0 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 40.8%
Hispanic or Latino 26.5%
White 24.5%
Two or More 8.2%
Largest group: African American at 40.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.7, Heather Ridge is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Frederick County Public Schools, which includes Heather Ridge.
$14,981
Per student
-27%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.4%
State 38.3%
Federal 11.2%
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 Heather Ridge Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gov. Thomas Johnson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Urbana High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Frederick High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tuscarora High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oakdale High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Heather Ridge's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,066
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,989
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,821
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,735
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,702
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools in Frederick
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Waverley Elementary
Standard public school
965 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Tuscarora Elementary
Standard public school
793 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Whittier Elementary
Standard public school
779 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Urbana Elementary
Standard public school
736 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
Ballenger Creek Elementary
Standard public school
715 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
North Frederick Elementary
Standard public school
660 students 14.7:1 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 (~50 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Heather Ridge's federal record.
- Compare Heather Ridge against another school. Compare schools
- Frederick 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 Heather Ridge
How many students attend Heather Ridge?
Heather Ridge has 50 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Frederick, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Heather Ridge?
The student-teacher ratio at Heather Ridge is 3.3:1, which is 77% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 79% 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 Heather Ridge?
73.3% of students at Heather Ridge are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Heather Ridge?
The largest demographic group at Heather Ridge is African American at 40.8% of enrollment, in Frederick, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Heather Ridge?
Heather Ridge has a Resource Investment Index of 69/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Heather Ridge rank among schools in Frederick?
By Resource Investment Index, Heather Ridge ranks #1 of 18 schools in Frederick, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Frederick on the city page.
Is Heather Ridge a good school?
Heather Ridge earns 69/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Maryland schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Maryland. 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 Frederick County Public Schools?
Besides Heather Ridge, Frederick County Public Schools also operates Gov. Thomas Johnson High (2,066 students), Urbana High (1,989 students), and Frederick High (1,821 students). See the Frederick 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.