Enrollment
416
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bowie, MD
Pointer Ridge Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Pointer Ridge Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 240051001131
👥 S:T ratio 2
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 54
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pointer Ridge Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Maryland schools.
- #7 of 7
- elementary schools in Bowie · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 24.5:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 51.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Pointer Ridge Elementary has class sizes larger than 99% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pointer Ridge Elementary ranks #7 of 7 elementary schools in Bowie, MD.
School address
District: Prince George's County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240051001131 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.5:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+69% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.9%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pointer Ridge Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pointer Ridge Elementary
Pointer Ridge Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Bowie, Maryland, enrolling 416 students.
Class loads run heavy: 24.5:1 is larger than about 99% of Maryland schools and 69% above the 14.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 51.9% lands close to the Maryland typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 416 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Among 270 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #201, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (72%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 416 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Bowie's elementary schools, it stands alongside Whitehall Elementary (485 students): Pointer Ridge Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.5:1 vs 14.3:1).
Prince George's County Public Schools also operates High Point High (3,012 students) and Charles Herbert Flowers High (2,712 students) alongside Pointer Ridge 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 Pointer Ridge Elementary compares
Pointer Ridge 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 | 24.5:1 | ▲ 69% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.9% | ▲ 6% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 416 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.5:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
416
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% 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
24.5:1
students per teacher
- 69% above state mean
Top 99% in Maryland - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
18.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$19,234
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 416 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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 71.6%
Hispanic or Latino 16.8%
White 4.1%
Asian 3.8%
Two or More 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 71.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.5, Pointer Ridge Elementary is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Prince George's County Public Schools, which includes Pointer Ridge Elementary.
$19,234
Per student
-6%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.8%
State 51.1%
Federal 12.1%
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 Pointer Ridge Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Point High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Charles Herbert Flowers High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Parkdale High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bowie High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eleanor Roosevelt High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pointer Ridge Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,012
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,712
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,588
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 2,580
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,544
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools in Bowie
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Whitehall Elementary
Standard public school
485 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Tulip Grove Elementary
Standard public school
477 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Yorktown Elementary
Standard public school
396 students 18:1 students per teacher
High Bridge Elementary
Standard public school
394 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Kenilworth Elementary
Standard public school
364 students 13:1 students per teacher
Heather Hills Elementary
Standard public school
361 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
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 (~416 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pointer Ridge Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Pointer Ridge Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Prince George's 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 Pointer Ridge Elementary
How many students attend Pointer Ridge Elementary?
Pointer Ridge Elementary has 416 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bowie, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pointer Ridge Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Pointer Ridge Elementary is 24.5:1, which is 69% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 56% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pointer Ridge Elementary?
51.9% of students at Pointer Ridge Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pointer Ridge Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Pointer Ridge Elementary is African American at 71.6% of enrollment, in Bowie, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pointer Ridge Elementary?
Pointer Ridge Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Pointer Ridge Elementary rank among elementary schools in Bowie?
By Resource Investment Index, Pointer Ridge Elementary ranks #7 of 7 elementary schools in Bowie, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Bowie on the city page.
Is Pointer Ridge Elementary a good school?
Pointer Ridge Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Prince George's County Public Schools?
Besides Pointer Ridge Elementary, Prince George's County Public Schools also operates High Point High (3,012 students), Charles Herbert Flowers High (2,712 students), and Parkdale High (2,588 students). See the Prince George's 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.