Enrollment
641
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Baltimore, MD
Northwood Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Northwood Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240009000293
👥 S:T ratio 17
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 1
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwood Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Maryland schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Maryland schools.
- #171 of 177
- schools in Baltimore · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 20.7:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 73.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwood Elementary has class sizes larger than 97% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwood Elementary ranks #171 of 177 schools in Baltimore, MD.
School address
District: Baltimore City Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240009000293 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.7:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+43% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.6%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwood Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwood Elementary
Northwood Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Baltimore, Maryland, enrolling 641 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.7:1 is larger than about 97% of Maryland schools and 43% above the 14.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 73.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 641 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 1,382 Maryland schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 282 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #277, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (90% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1282 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Baltimore's public schools, it stands alongside Roland Park Elementary/Middle (1,371 students): Northwood Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.7:1 vs 19.6:1).
Baltimore City Public Schools also operates Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High (1,714 students) and Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (1,632 students) alongside Northwood 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 Northwood Elementary compares
Northwood 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 | 20.7:1 | ▲ 43% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.6% | ▲ 50% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 641 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.7:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
641
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% 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
20.7:1
students per teacher
- 43% above state mean
Top 97% in Maryland - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
39.5%
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
$18,272
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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
African American 90.2%
Hispanic or Latino 5.3%
Two or More 2.3%
White 1.7%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 90.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.3, Northwood Elementary is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Baltimore City Public Schools, which includes Northwood Elementary.
$18,272
Per student
-11%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.3%
State 51.4%
Federal 15.3%
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 Northwood Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Baltimore Polytechnic Institute | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Baltimore City College | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kipp Harmony Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Roland Park Elementary/Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwood Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,714
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,632
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,470
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,399
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,371
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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 (~641 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwood Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Northwood Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Baltimore City 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 Northwood Elementary
How many students attend Northwood Elementary?
Northwood Elementary has 641 students enrolled. It is a public school in Baltimore, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwood Elementary is 20.7:1, which is 43% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Northwood Elementary?
73.6% of students at Northwood Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwood Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Northwood Elementary is African American at 90.2% of enrollment, in Baltimore, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwood Elementary?
Northwood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Northwood Elementary rank among schools in Baltimore?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwood Elementary ranks #171 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 Northwood Elementary a good school?
Northwood Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Maryland schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Baltimore City Public Schools?
Besides Northwood Elementary, Baltimore City Public Schools also operates Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High (1,714 students), Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (1,632 students), and Baltimore City College (1,470 students). See the Baltimore City 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.