Enrollment
328
New Hampshire · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Portsmouth, NH
Mary C. Dondero Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Mary C. Dondero Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 330582000373
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 39
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mary C. Dondero Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Hampshire median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New Hampshire schools.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Portsmouth · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.3:1
- students per teacher
- 15.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Mary C. Dondero Elementary School has class sizes near the New Hampshire median. Computed live against every New Hampshire school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mary C. Dondero Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Portsmouth, NH.
School address
District: Portsmouth School District · New Hampshire
NCES ID 330582000373 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.3:1
vs 11.3:1 New Hampshire avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.2%
vs 21.5% New Hampshire avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mary C. Dondero Elementary School compares with New Hampshire and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mary C. Dondero Elementary School
Mary C. Dondero Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, enrolling 328 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of New Hampshire schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 15.2% lands close to the New Hampshire typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 328 students, its enrollment sits close to the New Hampshire median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 500 scored New Hampshire schools.
Against 159 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #77.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Asian (12%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 328 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Portsmouth's elementary schools, it stands alongside Little Harbour School (325 students): Mary C. Dondero Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (10.3:1 vs 9.8:1).
Portsmouth School District also operates Portsmouth High School (1,017 students) and Portsmouth Middle School (486 students) alongside Mary C. Dondero Elementary 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 Mary C. Dondero Elementary School compares
Mary C. Dondero Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against New Hampshire and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New Hampshire | New Hampshire avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.3:1 | ▼ 9% | 11.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.2% | ▼ 29% | 21.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 328 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.3:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
328
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% below the New Hampshire average of 21.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.3:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 40% in New Hampshire - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
24.4%
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
$23,187
per pupil, district-wide
- below New Hampshire avg of $28,358
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 328 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 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 71.0%
Asian 11.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.4%
Two or More 6.4%
African American 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 71.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.2, Mary C. Dondero Elementary School is more mixed than the New Hampshire school average of 24.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Portsmouth School District, which includes Mary C. Dondero Elementary School.
$23,187
Per student
-18%
vs New Hampshire
Avg $28,358
+40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 69.8%
State 24.3%
Federal 5.9%
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 Mary C. Dondero Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Portsmouth Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Little Harbour School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| New Franklin School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Peep School - Pre School Program | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mary C. Dondero Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,017
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 486
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 325
- Students per teacher
- 9.8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 247
- Students per teacher
- 9.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 24
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar elementary schools in Portsmouth
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New Hampshire, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~328 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mary C. Dondero Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Mary C. Dondero Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Portsmouth School District'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 Mary C. Dondero Elementary School
How many students attend Mary C. Dondero Elementary School?
Mary C. Dondero Elementary School has 328 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Portsmouth, NH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mary C. Dondero Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mary C. Dondero Elementary School is 10.3:1, which is 9% lower than the New Hampshire average of 11.3:1 and 34% 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 Mary C. Dondero Elementary School?
15.2% of students at Mary C. Dondero Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New Hampshire average of 21.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mary C. Dondero Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Mary C. Dondero Elementary School is White at 71.0% of enrollment, in Portsmouth, NH.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mary C. Dondero Elementary School?
Mary C. Dondero Elementary School 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 Mary C. Dondero Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Portsmouth?
By Resource Investment Index, Mary C. Dondero Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Portsmouth, NH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Portsmouth on the city page.
Is Mary C. Dondero Elementary School a good school?
Mary C. Dondero Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New Hampshire median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most New Hampshire 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 Portsmouth School District?
Besides Mary C. Dondero Elementary School, Portsmouth School District also operates Portsmouth High School (1,017 students), Portsmouth Middle School (486 students), and Little Harbour School (325 students). See the Portsmouth School District 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.