Enrollment
400
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Baltimore, MD
Mars Estates Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Mars Estates Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240012000424
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mars Estates Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #65 of 177
- schools in Baltimore · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 69.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Mars Estates Elementary has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mars Estates Elementary ranks #65 of 177 schools in Baltimore, MD.
School address
District: Baltimore County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240012000424 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.9%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mars Estates Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mars Estates Elementary
Mars Estates Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Baltimore, Maryland, enrolling 400 students.
At 14.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Maryland median, within a few percentage points of the 14.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 69.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 400 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 267 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #135.
Its student body is led by African American (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 400 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Baltimore's public schools, it stands alongside Roland Park Elementary/Middle (1,371 students): Mars Estates Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.3:1 vs 19.6:1).
Baltimore County Public Schools also operates Dundalk High (2,087 students) and Perry Hall High (2,012 students) alongside Mars Estates 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 Mars Estates Elementary compares
Mars Estates 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 1% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.9% | ▲ 43% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 400 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
400
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 47% in Maryland - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
33.0%
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
$16,538
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 400 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: 0.5 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 54.5%
Hispanic or Latino 23.5%
White 10.8%
Two or More 9.0%
Asian 2.3%
Largest group: African American at 54.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.7, Mars Estates Elementary is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Baltimore County Public Schools, which includes Mars Estates Elementary.
$16,538
Per student
-19%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.3%
State 40.7%
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 Mars Estates Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dundalk High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Perry Hall High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodlawn High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kenwood High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dulaney High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mars Estates Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,087
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 2,012
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,922
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,900
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,889
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other schools in Baltimore
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Roland Park Elementary/Middle
Standard public school
1,371 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Lakeland Elementary/Middle
Standard public school
1,070 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
John Ruhrah Elementary/Middle
Standard public school
1,061 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Academy for College and Career Exploration
Standard public school
967 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Hampstead Hill Academy
Standard public school
933 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
The Belair-Edison School
Standard public school
911 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
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 (~400 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mars Estates Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Mars Estates Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Baltimore 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 Mars Estates Elementary
How many students attend Mars Estates Elementary?
Mars Estates Elementary has 400 students enrolled. It is a public school in Baltimore, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mars Estates Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Mars Estates Elementary is 14.3:1, which is 1% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 9% 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 Mars Estates Elementary?
69.9% of students at Mars Estates Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mars Estates Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Mars Estates Elementary is African American at 54.5% of enrollment, in Baltimore, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mars Estates Elementary?
Mars Estates Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Mars Estates Elementary rank among schools in Baltimore?
By Resource Investment Index, Mars Estates Elementary ranks #65 of 177 schools in Baltimore, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Baltimore on the city page.
Is Mars Estates Elementary a good school?
Mars Estates Elementary earns 38/100 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 Baltimore County Public Schools?
Besides Mars Estates Elementary, Baltimore County Public Schools also operates Dundalk High (2,087 students), Perry Hall High (2,012 students), and Woodlawn High (1,922 students). See the Baltimore 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.