Enrollment
610
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · La Plata, MD
Mary H. Matula Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Mary H. Matula Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240027000141
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 46
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mary H. Matula Elementary School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in La Plata · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 31.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Mary H. Matula Elementary School has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mary H. Matula Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in La Plata, MD.
School address
District: Charles County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240027000141 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.8%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mary H. Matula Elementary School compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mary H. Matula Elementary School
Mary H. Matula Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in La Plata, Maryland, enrolling 610 students.
At 14.9:1, 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 below the state's typical profile, with 31.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 610 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 275 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #197, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (43%) and White (30%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 610 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among La Plata's public schools, it stands alongside Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School (663 students): Mary H. Matula Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.9:1 vs 17:1).
Charles County Public Schools also operates North Point High School (1,960 students) and St. Charles High School (1,617 students) alongside Mary H. Matula 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 H. Matula Elementary School compares
Mary H. Matula Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.9:1 | ▲ 3% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.8% | ▼ 35% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 610 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
610
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 56% in Maryland - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.6%
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
$16,671
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 610 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 42.6%
White 29.7%
Two or More 12.6%
Hispanic or Latino 11.0%
Asian 4.1%
Largest group: African American at 42.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.1, Mary H. Matula Elementary School is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Charles County Public Schools, which includes Mary H. Matula Elementary School.
$16,671
Per student
-18%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.0%
State 44.3%
Federal 10.7%
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 Mary H. Matula Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Point High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| St. Charles High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas Stone High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| La Plata High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Westlake High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mary H. Matula Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,960
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,617
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,230
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,217
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,216
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar other schools in La Plata
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 (~610 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mary H. Matula Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Mary H. Matula Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Charles 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 Mary H. Matula Elementary School
How many students attend Mary H. Matula Elementary School?
Mary H. Matula Elementary School has 610 students enrolled. It is a public school in La Plata, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mary H. Matula Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mary H. Matula Elementary School is 14.9:1, which is 3% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mary H. Matula Elementary School?
31.8% of students at Mary H. Matula Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mary H. Matula Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Mary H. Matula Elementary School is African American at 42.6% of enrollment, in La Plata, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mary H. Matula Elementary School?
Mary H. Matula Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 H. Matula Elementary School rank among public schools in La Plata?
By Resource Investment Index, Mary H. Matula Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in La Plata, 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 La Plata on the city page.
Is Mary H. Matula Elementary School a good school?
Mary H. Matula Elementary School earns 39/100 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 Charles County Public Schools?
Besides Mary H. Matula Elementary School, Charles County Public Schools also operates North Point High School (1,960 students), St. Charles High School (1,617 students), and Thomas Stone High School (1,230 students). See the Charles 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.