Enrollment
2,038
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Burtonsville, MD
Paint Branch High
Federal NCES profile for Paint Branch High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 240048000890
👥 S:T ratio 37
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Paint Branch High earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median. It is also one of the largest schools in Maryland.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Burtonsville · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.7:1
- students per teacher
- 55.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Paint Branch High has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Paint Branch High ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Burtonsville, MD.
School address
District: Montgomery County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240048000890 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
130.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.2%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Paint Branch High compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Paint Branch High
Paint Branch High is a higher-need, large high school in Burtonsville, Maryland, enrolling 2,038 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.2% lands close to the Maryland typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Maryland, bigger than 98% of state schools at 2,038 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Among 56 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (58%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 58/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 240 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students) and Walter Johnson High (3,016 students) alongside Paint Branch High.
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 Paint Branch High compares
Paint Branch High on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.7:1 | ▲ 8% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.2% | ▲ 13% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,038 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
2,038
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 66% in Maryland - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.7%
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
Counselors8.5 FTE
Per 240 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 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
African American 58.0%
Hispanic or Latino 26.7%
Asian 9.4%
White 3.3%
Two or More 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 58.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.2, Paint Branch High is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montgomery County Public Schools, which includes Paint Branch High.
$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 Paint Branch High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery Blair High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Walter Johnson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wheaton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gaithersburg High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Seneca Valley High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Paint Branch High'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 high 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 (~2,038 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Paint Branch High's federal record.
- Compare Paint Branch High 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 Paint Branch High
How many students attend Paint Branch High?
Paint Branch High has 2,038 students enrolled. It is a high school in Burtonsville, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Paint Branch High?
The student-teacher ratio at Paint Branch High is 15.7:1, which is 8% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 0% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Paint Branch High?
55.2% of students at Paint Branch High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Paint Branch High?
The largest demographic group at Paint Branch High is African American at 58.0% of enrollment, in Burtonsville, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Paint Branch High?
Paint Branch High has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Paint Branch High rank among public schools in Burtonsville?
By Resource Investment Index, Paint Branch High ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Burtonsville, 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 Burtonsville on the city page.
Is Paint Branch High a good school?
Paint Branch High earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median. It is also one of the largest schools in Maryland. 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 Paint Branch High, 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.