Enrollment
841
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Damascus, MD
John T. Baker Middle School
Federal NCES profile for John T. Baker Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 240048001456
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John T. Baker Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Damascus · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 32.7%
- free-lunch eligible
John T. Baker Middle School has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John T. Baker Middle School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Damascus, MD.
School address
District: Montgomery County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240048001456 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.7%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John T. Baker Middle School compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at John T. Baker Middle School
John T. Baker Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Damascus, Maryland, enrolling 841 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 841 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 228 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #47.
Its student body is led by White (38%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 240 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students) and Walter Johnson High (3,016 students) alongside John T. Baker Middle 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 John T. Baker Middle School compares
John T. Baker Middle 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 | 15.3:1 | ▲ 6% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.7% | ▼ 33% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 841 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
841
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 61% in Maryland - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.5%
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
$18,101
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.5 FTE
Per 240 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.1 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
White 37.8%
Hispanic or Latino 34.8%
African American 13.4%
Asian 7.1%
Two or More 6.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 37.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.9, John T. Baker Middle School is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montgomery County Public Schools, which includes John T. Baker Middle School.
$18,101
Per student
-11%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.0%
State 23.7%
Federal 10.3%
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 John T. Baker Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery Blair High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Walter Johnson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wheaton High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gaithersburg High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Seneca Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John T. Baker Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,266
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 3,016
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 2,794
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,441
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 2,409
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar middle 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 (~841 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John T. Baker Middle School's federal record.
- Compare John T. Baker Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Montgomery 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 John T. Baker Middle School
How many students attend John T. Baker Middle School?
John T. Baker Middle School has 841 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Damascus, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John T. Baker Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at John T. Baker Middle School is 15.3:1, which is 6% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at John T. Baker Middle School?
32.7% of students at John T. Baker Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John T. Baker Middle School?
The largest demographic group at John T. Baker Middle School is White at 37.8% of enrollment, in Damascus, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John T. Baker Middle School?
John T. Baker Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 John T. Baker Middle School rank among public schools in Damascus?
By Resource Investment Index, John T. Baker Middle School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Damascus, 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 Damascus on the city page.
Is John T. Baker Middle School a good school?
John T. Baker Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median. 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 Montgomery County Public Schools?
Besides John T. Baker Middle School, Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students), Walter Johnson High (3,016 students), and Wheaton High (2,794 students). See the Montgomery 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.