Enrollment
575
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Takoma Park, MD
Piney Branch Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Piney Branch Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 240048000894
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Piney Branch Elementary earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Takoma Park · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.1:1
- students per teacher
- 34.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Piney Branch Elementary has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Piney Branch Elementary ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Takoma Park, MD.
School address
District: Montgomery County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240048000894 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.2%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Piney Branch Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Piney Branch Elementary
Piney Branch Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Takoma Park, Maryland, enrolling 575 students.
At 15.1:1, 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 34.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 575 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maryland median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 271 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #56.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and African American (27%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 383 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
16.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students) and Walter Johnson High (3,016 students) alongside Piney Branch 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 Piney Branch Elementary compares
Piney Branch 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 | 15.1:1 | ▲ 4% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.2% | ▼ 30% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 575 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
575
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 59% in Maryland - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 383 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
White 43.7%
African American 27.4%
Hispanic or Latino 18.5%
Two or More 7.8%
Asian 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 43.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.3, Piney Branch Elementary is more mixed than 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 Piney Branch Elementary.
$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 Piney Branch Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery Blair High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Walter Johnson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wheaton High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gaithersburg High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Seneca Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Piney Branch Elementary'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 elementary 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 (~575 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Piney Branch Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Piney Branch Elementary 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 Piney Branch Elementary
How many students attend Piney Branch Elementary?
Piney Branch Elementary has 575 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Takoma Park, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Piney Branch Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Piney Branch Elementary is 15.1:1, which is 4% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Piney Branch Elementary?
34.2% of students at Piney Branch Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Piney Branch Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Piney Branch Elementary is White at 43.7% of enrollment, in Takoma Park, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Piney Branch Elementary?
Piney Branch Elementary 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 Piney Branch Elementary rank among public schools in Takoma Park?
By Resource Investment Index, Piney Branch Elementary ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Takoma Park, 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 Takoma Park on the city page.
Is Piney Branch Elementary a good school?
Piney Branch Elementary 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 Piney Branch Elementary, 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.