Enrollment
479
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mechanicsville, MD
Lettie Marshall Dent Elem
Federal NCES profile for Lettie Marshall Dent Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240060001399
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lettie Marshall Dent Elem earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Mechanicsville · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.5:1
- students per teacher
- 32.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Lettie Marshall Dent Elem has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lettie Marshall Dent Elem ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Mechanicsville, MD.
School address
District: St. Mary's County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240060001399 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.1%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lettie Marshall Dent Elem compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lettie Marshall Dent Elem
Lettie Marshall Dent Elem is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Mechanicsville, Maryland, enrolling 479 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 479 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maryland median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Among 244 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #230, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 34/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 479 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding St. Mary's County Public Schools spends $16,038 per pupil, 22% below the Maryland average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Mechanicsville's public schools, it stands alongside Oakville Elementary (291 students): Lettie Marshall Dent Elem is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.5:1 vs 17.1:1).
St. Mary's County Public Schools also operates Leonardtown High (2,118 students) and Great Mills High (1,697 students) alongside Lettie Marshall Dent Elem.
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 Lettie Marshall Dent Elem compares
Lettie Marshall Dent Elem on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.5:1 | ▲ 7% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.1% | ▼ 34% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 479 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
479
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 64% in Maryland - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
31.5%
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
$16,038
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 479 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 80.4%
Two or More 6.7%
African American 6.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.8%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 80.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.2, Lettie Marshall Dent Elem is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. Mary's County Public Schools, which includes Lettie Marshall Dent Elem.
$16,038
Per student
-22%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.1%
State 41.2%
Federal 13.6%
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 Lettie Marshall Dent Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leonardtown High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Great Mills High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chopticon High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Leonardtown Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spring Ridge Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lettie Marshall Dent Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,118
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,697
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,526
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 969
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 913
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar other schools in Mechanicsville
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 (~479 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lettie Marshall Dent Elem's federal record.
- Compare Lettie Marshall Dent Elem against another school. Compare schools
- St. Mary's 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 Lettie Marshall Dent Elem
How many students attend Lettie Marshall Dent Elem?
Lettie Marshall Dent Elem has 479 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mechanicsville, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lettie Marshall Dent Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at Lettie Marshall Dent Elem is 15.5:1, which is 7% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lettie Marshall Dent Elem?
32.1% of students at Lettie Marshall Dent Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lettie Marshall Dent Elem?
The largest demographic group at Lettie Marshall Dent Elem is White at 80.4% of enrollment, in Mechanicsville, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lettie Marshall Dent Elem?
Lettie Marshall Dent Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Lettie Marshall Dent Elem rank among public schools in Mechanicsville?
By Resource Investment Index, Lettie Marshall Dent Elem ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Mechanicsville, 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 Mechanicsville on the city page.
Is Lettie Marshall Dent Elem a good school?
Lettie Marshall Dent Elem earns 33/100 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 St. Mary's County Public Schools?
Besides Lettie Marshall Dent Elem, St. Mary's County Public Schools also operates Leonardtown High (2,118 students), Great Mills High (1,697 students), and Chopticon High (1,526 students). See the St. Mary's 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.