Enrollment
581
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Frederick, MD
Hillcrest Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hillcrest Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240033090473
👥 S:T ratio 62
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hillcrest Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of Maryland schools.
- #12 of 18
- schools in Frederick · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.4:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 81.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Hillcrest Elementary has class sizes smaller than 95% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Elementary ranks #12 of 18 schools in Frederick, MD.
School address
District: Frederick County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240033090473 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
62.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.4:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.7%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+67% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hillcrest Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hillcrest Elementary
Hillcrest Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Frederick, Maryland, enrolling 581 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.4:1, Hillcrest Elementary is leaner than roughly 95% of Maryland schools and 35% under the state's 14.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 81.7% of students qualify for free meals, 67% above the Maryland average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 581 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maryland median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 197 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #27.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 34/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 291 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Frederick County Public Schools spends $14,981 per pupil, 27% below the Maryland average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Frederick's public schools, it stands alongside Waverley Elementary (965 students): Hillcrest Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.4:1 vs 14.8:1).
Frederick County Public Schools also operates Gov. Thomas Johnson High (2,066 students) and Urbana High (1,989 students) alongside Hillcrest 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 Hillcrest Elementary compares
Hillcrest 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 | 9.4:1 | ▼ 35% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.7% | ▲ 67% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 581 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.4:1
Leaner classes than 91% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
581
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 67% above the Maryland average of 49.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
9.4:1
students per teacher
- 35% below state mean
Top 5% in Maryland - lower ratio than 95% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
46.1%
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
$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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 291 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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
Hispanic or Latino 80.9%
African American 7.9%
White 5.5%
Two or More 3.3%
Asian 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 80.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.5, Hillcrest Elementary is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Frederick County Public Schools, which includes Hillcrest Elementary.
$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 Hillcrest Elementary 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 Hillcrest Elementary'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 (~581 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hillcrest Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hillcrest Elementary 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 Hillcrest Elementary
How many students attend Hillcrest Elementary?
Hillcrest Elementary has 581 students enrolled. It is a public school in Frederick, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Elementary is 9.4:1, which is 35% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 40% 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 Hillcrest Elementary?
81.7% of students at Hillcrest Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hillcrest Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hillcrest Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 80.9% of enrollment, in Frederick, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hillcrest Elementary?
Hillcrest Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Hillcrest Elementary rank among schools in Frederick?
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Elementary ranks #12 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 Hillcrest Elementary a good school?
Hillcrest Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of 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 Frederick County Public Schools?
Besides Hillcrest Elementary, 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.