Enrollment
575
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Towson, MD
Pleasant Plains Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Pleasant Plains Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240012000453
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pleasant Plains Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Maryland schools.
- #9 of 10
- public schools in Towson · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 63.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Pleasant Plains Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pleasant Plains Elementary ranks #9 of 10 public schools in Towson, MD.
School address
District: Baltimore County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240012000453 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.6%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pleasant Plains Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pleasant Plains Elementary
Pleasant Plains Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Towson, Maryland, enrolling 575 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16:1 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 63.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 575 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maryland median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 1,382 Maryland schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 332 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #310, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 575 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Towson's public schools, it stands alongside Home Assignments-Secondary (11 students): Pleasant Plains Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount.
Baltimore County Public Schools also operates Dundalk High (2,087 students) and Perry Hall High (2,012 students) alongside Pleasant Plains 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 Pleasant Plains Elementary compares
Pleasant Plains 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 | 16:1 | ▲ 10% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.6% | ▲ 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
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% 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
63.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
16:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 70% in Maryland - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
41.4%
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
$16,538
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 575 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 48.7%
Hispanic or Latino 30.1%
White 12.2%
Two or More 6.4%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Largest group: African American at 48.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.3, Pleasant Plains Elementary is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Baltimore County Public Schools, which includes Pleasant Plains Elementary.
$16,538
Per student
-19%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.3%
State 40.7%
Federal 12.0%
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 Pleasant Plains Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dundalk High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Perry Hall High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Woodlawn High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kenwood High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dulaney High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pleasant Plains Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,087
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 2,012
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,922
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,900
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,889
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other schools in Towson
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 (~575 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pleasant Plains Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Pleasant Plains Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Baltimore 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 Pleasant Plains Elementary
How many students attend Pleasant Plains Elementary?
Pleasant Plains Elementary has 575 students enrolled. It is a public school in Towson, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pleasant Plains Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Pleasant Plains Elementary is 16:1, which is 10% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 2% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pleasant Plains Elementary?
63.6% of students at Pleasant Plains Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pleasant Plains Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Pleasant Plains Elementary is African American at 48.7% of enrollment, in Towson, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pleasant Plains Elementary?
Pleasant Plains Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (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 Pleasant Plains Elementary rank among public schools in Towson?
By Resource Investment Index, Pleasant Plains Elementary ranks #9 of 10 public schools in Towson, 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 Towson on the city page.
Is Pleasant Plains Elementary a good school?
Pleasant Plains Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of 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 County Public Schools?
Besides Pleasant Plains Elementary, Baltimore County Public Schools also operates Dundalk High (2,087 students), Perry Hall High (2,012 students), and Woodlawn High (1,922 students). See the Baltimore 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.