Enrollment
475
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Potomac, MD
Potomac Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Potomac Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 240048000898
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 5
📋 Attendance 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Potomac Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Maryland schools.
- #8 of 8
- public schools in Potomac · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.6:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 7.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Potomac Elementary has class sizes larger than 86% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Potomac Elementary ranks #8 of 8 public schools in Potomac, MD.
School address
District: Montgomery County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240048000898 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.2%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-85% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Potomac Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Potomac Elementary
Potomac Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Potomac, Maryland, enrolling 475 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.6:1 is larger than about 86% of Maryland schools and 21% above the 14.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.2% free-meal eligibility runs 85% below the Maryland average.
With 475 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maryland median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 117 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #69.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and Asian (34%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 475 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
10.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Potomac's elementary schools, it stands alongside Cold Spring Elementary (362 students): Potomac Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.6:1 vs 16.5:1).
Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students) and Walter Johnson High (3,016 students) alongside Potomac 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 Potomac Elementary compares
Potomac 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 | 17.6:1 | ▲ 21% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.2% | ▼ 85% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 475 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
475
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 85% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 86% in Maryland - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
10.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 475 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 39.2%
Asian 33.5%
Two or More 10.3%
African American 8.6%
Hispanic or Latino 8.4%
Largest group: White at 39.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.9, Potomac 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 Potomac 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 Potomac Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery Blair High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Walter Johnson High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wheaton High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gaithersburg High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Seneca Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Potomac 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 in Potomac
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~475 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Potomac Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Potomac 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 Potomac Elementary
How many students attend Potomac Elementary?
Potomac Elementary has 475 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Potomac, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Potomac Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Potomac Elementary is 17.6:1, which is 21% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 12% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Potomac Elementary?
7.2% of students at Potomac Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Potomac Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Potomac Elementary is White at 39.2% of enrollment, in Potomac, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Potomac Elementary?
Potomac Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Potomac Elementary rank among public schools in Potomac?
By Resource Investment Index, Potomac Elementary ranks #8 of 8 public schools in Potomac, 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 Potomac on the city page.
Is Potomac Elementary a good school?
Potomac Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Montgomery County Public Schools?
Besides Potomac 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.