Enrollment
581
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 240033090473
Hillcrest Elementary — Frederick, MD
Federal NCES profile for Hillcrest Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 44/100.
👥 Class size 63
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 0
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: Frederick 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)
62.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.3:1
vs 14.4:1 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
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
Hillcrest Elementary reports 581 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 62.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 9.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 35% 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 42% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 81.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 67% above the Maryland average and 58% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 291 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 46.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Frederick County Public Schools spends $16,833 per pupil district-wide, below the Maryland average of $22,498 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 50.4% from local sources (property taxes), 38.3% from the state, and 11.2% 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 4 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 Hillcrest Elementary 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 | 9.3:1 | ▼ 35% | 14.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.7% | ▲ 67% | 49.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 581 | top 58% | — | — |
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
81.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 67% 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
9.3:1
students per teacher
— 35% below state mean
Top 4% in Maryland — lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
46.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,833
per pupil, district-wide
— below Maryland avg of $22,498
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
Enrollment 581 Top 58% in Maryland — larger than 42% of 1,383 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 62.0
Students per teacher 9.3:1 -35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 81.7% +67% vs state
NCES ID 240033090473
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.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 291:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 46.1%
In-school suspensions 2
Out-of-school suspensions 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Frederick County Public Schools, which includes Hillcrest Elementary.
$16,833
Per student
-25%
vs Maryland
Avg $22,498
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,066
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,989
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,821
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,735
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,702
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
Similar other schools in Frederick
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Waverley Elementary
Standard public school
965 students 13:1 students per teacher
Tuscarora Elementary
Standard public school
793 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Whittier Elementary
Standard public school
779 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Urbana Elementary
Standard public school
736 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Ballenger Creek Elementary
Standard public school
715 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
North Frederick Elementary
Standard public school
660 students 13.9:1 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 Hillcrest Elementary
How many students attend Hillcrest Elementary?
Hillcrest Elementary has 581 students enrolled. It is a other school in Frederick, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Elementary is 9.3:1, which is 35% lower than the Maryland average of 14.4:1 and 42% 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 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%. The school serves a diverse student body in Frederick, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hillcrest Elementary?
Hillcrest Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.