Enrollment
569
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Columbia, MD
Lake Elkhorn Middle
Federal NCES profile for Lake Elkhorn Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 240042001700
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lake Elkhorn Middle earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Maryland schools.
- #3 of 4
- middle schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.9:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 50.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Lake Elkhorn Middle has class sizes smaller than 82% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Elkhorn Middle ranks #3 of 4 middle schools in Columbia, MD.
School address
District: Howard County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240042001700 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.3%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lake Elkhorn Middle compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lake Elkhorn Middle
Lake Elkhorn Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Columbia, Maryland, enrolling 569 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 50.3% lands close to the Maryland typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 569 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 323 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #132.
Its student body is led by African American (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 285 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Columbia's middle schools, it stands alongside Wilde Lake Middle (643 students): Lake Elkhorn Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.9:1 vs 12.9:1).
Howard County Public Schools also operates Marriotts Ridge High (1,741 students) and Reservoir High (1,597 students) alongside Lake Elkhorn Middle.
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 Lake Elkhorn Middle compares
Lake Elkhorn Middle on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.9:1 | ▼ 18% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.3% | ▲ 3% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 569 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
569
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 18% in Maryland - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
43.8%
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
$17,971
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 285 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 80 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.4 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 48.0%
Hispanic or Latino 22.8%
White 15.7%
Two or More 7.8%
Asian 5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 48.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.4, Lake Elkhorn Middle is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Howard County Public Schools, which includes Lake Elkhorn Middle.
$17,971
Per student
-12%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.7%
State 29.5%
Federal 7.7%
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 Lake Elkhorn Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marriotts Ridge High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Reservoir High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Atholton High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Howard High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mount Hebron High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lake Elkhorn Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,741
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,597
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,540
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,493
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,455
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar middle schools in Columbia
3 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~569 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lake Elkhorn Middle's federal record.
- Compare Lake Elkhorn Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Howard 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 Lake Elkhorn Middle
How many students attend Lake Elkhorn Middle?
Lake Elkhorn Middle has 569 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Columbia, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lake Elkhorn Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Lake Elkhorn Middle is 11.9:1, which is 18% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 24% 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 Lake Elkhorn Middle?
50.3% of students at Lake Elkhorn Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lake Elkhorn Middle?
The largest demographic group at Lake Elkhorn Middle is African American at 48.0% of enrollment, in Columbia, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lake Elkhorn Middle?
Lake Elkhorn Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Lake Elkhorn Middle rank among middle schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Elkhorn Middle ranks #3 of 4 middle schools in Columbia, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Columbia on the city page.
Is Lake Elkhorn Middle a good school?
Lake Elkhorn Middle earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% 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 Howard County Public Schools?
Besides Lake Elkhorn Middle, Howard County Public Schools also operates Marriotts Ridge High (1,741 students), Reservoir High (1,597 students), and Atholton High (1,540 students). See the Howard 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.