Enrollment
381
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Preston, MD
Preston Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Preston Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240018000524
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Preston Elementary School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.1:1
- students per teacher
- 58.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 381
- students enrolled
Preston Elementary School has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Caroline County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240018000524 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.1%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Preston Elementary School compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Preston Elementary School
Preston Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Preston, Maryland, enrolling 381 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 58.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 381 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.
Against 256 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #143.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 381 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Caroline County Public Schools also operates North Caroline High School (1,238 students) and Greensboro Elementary School (840 students) alongside Preston Elementary School.
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 Preston Elementary School compares
Preston Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.1:1 | ▼ 10% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.1% | ▲ 19% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 381 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
381
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 31% in Maryland - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
33.6%
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
$18,641
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 381 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 71.1%
Hispanic or Latino 12.1%
African American 8.4%
Two or More 7.3%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 71.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.7, Preston Elementary School is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Caroline County Public Schools, which includes Preston Elementary School.
$18,641
Per student
-9%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.1%
State 68.1%
Federal 12.8%
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 Preston Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Caroline High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Greensboro Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lockerman Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Denton Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Colonel Richardson High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Preston Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,238
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 840
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 827
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 596
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 528
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
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 (~381 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Preston Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Preston Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Caroline 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 Preston Elementary School
How many students attend Preston Elementary School?
Preston Elementary School has 381 students enrolled. It is a public school in Preston, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Preston Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Preston Elementary School is 13.1:1, which is 10% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 17% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Preston Elementary School?
58.1% of students at Preston Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Preston Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Preston Elementary School is White at 71.1% of enrollment, in Preston, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Preston Elementary School?
Preston Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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).
Is Preston Elementary School a good school?
Preston Elementary School earns 39/100 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 Caroline County Public Schools?
Besides Preston Elementary School, Caroline County Public Schools also operates North Caroline High School (1,238 students), Greensboro Elementary School (840 students), and Lockerman Middle School (827 students). See the Caroline 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.