Enrollment
784
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Silver Spring, MD
Odessa Shannon Middle
Federal NCES profile for Odessa Shannon Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 240048000806
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Odessa Shannon Middle earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #10 of 10
- middle schools in Silver Spring · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.5:1
- students per teacher
- 72.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Odessa Shannon Middle has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Odessa Shannon Middle ranks #10 of 10 middle schools in Silver Spring, MD.
School address
District: Montgomery County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240048000806 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.7%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Odessa Shannon Middle compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Odessa Shannon Middle
Odessa Shannon Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Silver Spring, Maryland, enrolling 784 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 72.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 784 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Among 235 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #19, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (64%) and African American (24%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 196 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Silver Spring's middle schools, it stands alongside Takoma Park Middle (1,177 students): Odessa Shannon Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.5:1 vs 17.3:1).
Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students) and Walter Johnson High (3,016 students) alongside Odessa Shannon Middle.
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 Odessa Shannon Middle compares
Odessa Shannon Middle on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.5:1 | ▼ 7% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.7% | ▲ 48% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 784 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
784
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 36% in Maryland - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
33.4%
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
$18,101
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 196 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 63.5%
African American 23.8%
Asian 6.0%
White 4.5%
Two or More 2.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 63.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.4, Odessa Shannon Middle is about as mixed as the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montgomery County Public Schools, which includes Odessa Shannon Middle.
$18,101
Per student
-11%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.0%
State 23.7%
Federal 10.3%
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 Odessa Shannon Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery Blair High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Walter Johnson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wheaton High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gaithersburg High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Seneca Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Odessa Shannon Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,266
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 3,016
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 2,794
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,441
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 2,409
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar middle schools in Silver Spring
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Takoma Park Middle
Standard public school
1,177 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Silver Spring International Middle
Standard public school
1,015 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
A. Mario Loiederman Middle
Standard public school
978 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Eastern Middle
Standard public school
963 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Francis Scott Key Middle
Standard public school
950 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Argyle Middle
Standard public school
868 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~784 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Odessa Shannon Middle's federal record.
- Compare Odessa Shannon Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Montgomery 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 Odessa Shannon Middle
How many students attend Odessa Shannon Middle?
Odessa Shannon Middle has 784 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Silver Spring, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Odessa Shannon Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Odessa Shannon Middle is 13.5:1, which is 7% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 14% 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 Odessa Shannon Middle?
72.7% of students at Odessa Shannon Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Odessa Shannon Middle?
The largest demographic group at Odessa Shannon Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 63.5% of enrollment, in Silver Spring, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Odessa Shannon Middle?
Odessa Shannon Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Odessa Shannon Middle rank among middle schools in Silver Spring?
By Resource Investment Index, Odessa Shannon Middle ranks #10 of 10 middle schools in Silver Spring, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Silver Spring on the city page.
Is Odessa Shannon Middle a good school?
Odessa Shannon Middle earns 48/100 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 Montgomery County Public Schools?
Besides Odessa Shannon Middle, Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students), Walter Johnson High (3,016 students), and Wheaton High (2,794 students). See the Montgomery 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.