Enrollment
545
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Joppa, MD
Magnolia Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Magnolia Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240039000706
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Magnolia Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 78% of Maryland schools.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Joppa · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.4:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 86.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Magnolia Elementary has class sizes smaller than 78% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Magnolia Elementary ranks #3 of 3 schools in Joppa, MD.
School address
District: Harford County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240039000706 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.1%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+76% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Magnolia Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Magnolia Elementary
Magnolia Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Joppa, Maryland, enrolling 545 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 86.1% of students qualify for free meals, 76% above the Maryland average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 545 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maryland median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 1,382 Maryland schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 162 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #120, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 545 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Harford County Public Schools spends $15,192 per pupil, 26% below the Maryland average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Joppa's public schools, it stands alongside Joppatowne Elementary (495 students): Magnolia Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.4:1 vs 12.7:1).
Harford County Public Schools also operates Edgewood High (1,440 students) and Aberdeen High (1,396 students) alongside Magnolia Elementary.
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 Magnolia Elementary compares
Magnolia Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.4:1 | ▼ 14% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.1% | ▲ 76% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 545 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
545
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% above the Maryland average of 49.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 22% in Maryland - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
45.7%
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
$15,192
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 545 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.4 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 62.8%
Hispanic or Latino 13.0%
Two or More 12.7%
White 10.6%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 62.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.1, Magnolia Elementary is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harford County Public Schools, which includes Magnolia Elementary.
$15,192
Per student
-26%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.6%
State 35.4%
Federal 12.0%
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 Magnolia Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edgewood High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Aberdeen High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bel Air High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| C. Milton Wright High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Harford High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Magnolia Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,440
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,396
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,341
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,291
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,204
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar other schools in Joppa
2 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 (~545 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Magnolia Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Magnolia Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Harford 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 Magnolia Elementary
How many students attend Magnolia Elementary?
Magnolia Elementary has 545 students enrolled. It is a public school in Joppa, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Magnolia Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Magnolia Elementary is 12.4:1, which is 14% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 21% 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 Magnolia Elementary?
86.1% of students at Magnolia Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Magnolia Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Magnolia Elementary is African American at 62.8% of enrollment, in Joppa, 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 Magnolia Elementary?
Magnolia Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Magnolia Elementary rank among schools in Joppa?
By Resource Investment Index, Magnolia Elementary ranks #3 of 3 schools in Joppa, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Joppa on the city page.
Is Magnolia Elementary a good school?
Magnolia Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 78% 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 Harford County Public Schools?
Besides Magnolia Elementary, Harford County Public Schools also operates Edgewood High (1,440 students), Aberdeen High (1,396 students), and Bel Air High (1,341 students). See the Harford 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.