Enrollment
671
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gaithersburg, MD
Rachel Carson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Rachel Carson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240048090454
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 11
📋 Attendance 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rachel Carson Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Maryland schools.
- #6 of 16
- schools in Gaithersburg · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.8:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 24.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Rachel Carson Elementary has class sizes larger than 79% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rachel Carson Elementary ranks #6 of 16 schools in Gaithersburg, MD.
School address
District: Montgomery County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240048090454 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.8%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rachel Carson Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rachel Carson Elementary
Rachel Carson Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Gaithersburg, Maryland, enrolling 671 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 671 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Among 275 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #217, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 447 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Gaithersburg's public schools, it stands alongside South Lake Elementary (746 students): Rachel Carson Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.8:1 vs 11.7:1).
Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students) and Walter Johnson High (3,016 students) alongside Rachel Carson 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 Rachel Carson Elementary compares
Rachel Carson 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 | 16.8:1 | ▲ 16% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.8% | ▼ 49% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 671 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
671
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% 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
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 79% in Maryland - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.4%
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
$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 447 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 45.2%
Hispanic or Latino 22.5%
Asian 15.8%
African American 8.2%
Two or More 8.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 45.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.7, Rachel Carson 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 Rachel Carson 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 Rachel Carson 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 | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rachel Carson 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 other schools in Gaithersburg
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
South Lake Elementary
Standard public school
746 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Whetstone Elementary
Standard public school
711 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
Gaithersburg Elementary
Standard public school
603 students 8.9:1 students per teacher
Brown Station Elementary
Standard public school
572 students 9.9:1 students per teacher
Harriet R. Tubman Elementary
Standard public school
571 students 13:1 students per teacher
Rosemont Elementary
Standard public school
564 students 10.8:1 students per teacher
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 (~671 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rachel Carson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Rachel Carson 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 Rachel Carson Elementary
How many students attend Rachel Carson Elementary?
Rachel Carson Elementary has 671 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gaithersburg, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rachel Carson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Rachel Carson Elementary is 16.8:1, which is 16% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rachel Carson Elementary?
24.8% of students at Rachel Carson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rachel Carson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Rachel Carson Elementary is White at 45.2% of enrollment, in Gaithersburg, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rachel Carson Elementary?
Rachel Carson Elementary 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).
How does Rachel Carson Elementary rank among schools in Gaithersburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Rachel Carson Elementary ranks #6 of 16 schools in Gaithersburg, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Gaithersburg on the city page.
Is Rachel Carson Elementary a good school?
Rachel Carson Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Rachel Carson 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.