Enrollment
653
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Indian Head, MD
J. C. Parks Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for J. C. Parks Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240027000592
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
J. C. Parks Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Maryland schools.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Indian Head · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.6:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 46.2%
- free-lunch eligible
J. C. Parks Elementary School has class sizes larger than 86% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, J. C. Parks Elementary School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Indian Head, MD.
School address
District: Charles County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240027000592 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.2%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How J. C. Parks Elementary School compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at J. C. Parks Elementary School
J. C. Parks Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Indian Head, Maryland, enrolling 653 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.6:1 is larger than about 86% of Maryland schools and 21% above the 14.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 46.2% lands close to the Maryland typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 653 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 309 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #208.
Its student body is led by African American (62%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 653 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Indian Head's public schools, it stands alongside Indian Head Elementary School (443 students): J. C. Parks Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.6:1 vs 13.4:1).
Charles County Public Schools also operates North Point High School (1,960 students) and St. Charles High School (1,617 students) alongside J. C. Parks Elementary School.
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 J. C. Parks Elementary School compares
J. C. Parks Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.6:1 | ▲ 21% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.2% | ▼ 6% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 653 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
653
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 86% in Maryland - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.3%
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
$16,671
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 653 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 62.2%
Hispanic or Latino 20.4%
Two or More 8.3%
White 5.5%
Asian 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: African American at 62.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.1, J. C. Parks Elementary School is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Charles County Public Schools, which includes J. C. Parks Elementary School.
$16,671
Per student
-18%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.0%
State 44.3%
Federal 10.7%
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 J. C. Parks Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Point High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| St. Charles High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Thomas Stone High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| La Plata High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Westlake High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to J. C. Parks Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,960
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,617
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,230
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,217
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,216
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar other schools in Indian Head
1 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 (~653 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on J. C. Parks Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare J. C. Parks Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Charles 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 J. C. Parks Elementary School
How many students attend J. C. Parks Elementary School?
J. C. Parks Elementary School has 653 students enrolled. It is a public school in Indian Head, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at J. C. Parks Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at J. C. Parks Elementary School is 17.6:1, which is 21% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 12% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at J. C. Parks Elementary School?
46.2% of students at J. C. Parks Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of J. C. Parks Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at J. C. Parks Elementary School is African American at 62.2% of enrollment, in Indian Head, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for J. C. Parks Elementary School?
J. C. Parks Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 J. C. Parks Elementary School rank among public schools in Indian Head?
By Resource Investment Index, J. C. Parks Elementary School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Indian Head, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Indian Head on the city page.
Is J. C. Parks Elementary School a good school?
J. C. Parks Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Charles County Public Schools?
Besides J. C. Parks Elementary School, Charles County Public Schools also operates North Point High School (1,960 students), St. Charles High School (1,617 students), and Thomas Stone High School (1,230 students). See the Charles 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.