Enrollment
1,074
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · North East, MD
Rising Sun High
Federal NCES profile for Rising Sun High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 240024090469
👥 S:T ratio 37
📚 AP courses 95
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rising Sun High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Maryland schools.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in North East · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.8:1
- students per teacher
- 29.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Rising Sun High has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rising Sun High ranks #3 of 5 public schools in North East, MD.
School address
District: Cecil County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240024090469 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
68.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.6%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rising Sun High compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rising Sun High
Rising Sun High is a large high school in North East, Maryland, enrolling 1,074 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 29.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 1,074 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 1,382 Maryland schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 167 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #161, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 23/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 19 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 269 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 49.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among North East's high schools, it stands alongside North East High (1,057 students): Rising Sun High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.8:1 vs 14.7:1).
Cecil County Public Schools also operates North East High (1,057 students) and Elkton High (1,050 students) alongside Rising Sun High.
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 Rising Sun High compares
Rising Sun High on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.8:1 | ▲ 9% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.6% | ▼ 40% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,074 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,074
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 67% in Maryland - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
49.2%
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
$17,169
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 269 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 63 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.9 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 87.6%
Hispanic or Latino 7.4%
Two or More 3.6%
Asian 0.7%
African American 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 87.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.6, Rising Sun High is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 19
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cecil County Public Schools, which includes Rising Sun High.
$17,169
Per student
-16%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.4%
State 48.0%
Federal 14.6%
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 Rising Sun High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North East High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Elkton High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Perryville High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North East Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North East Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rising Sun High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,057
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,050
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 858
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 758
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 615
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar high schools in North East
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~1,074 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rising Sun High's federal record.
- Compare Rising Sun High against another school. Compare schools
- Cecil 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 Rising Sun High
How many students attend Rising Sun High?
Rising Sun High has 1,074 students enrolled. It is a high school in North East, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rising Sun High?
The student-teacher ratio at Rising Sun High is 15.8:1, which is 9% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rising Sun High?
29.6% of students at Rising Sun High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rising Sun High?
The largest demographic group at Rising Sun High is White at 87.6% of enrollment, in North East, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rising Sun High?
Rising Sun High has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Rising Sun High rank among public schools in North East?
By Resource Investment Index, Rising Sun High ranks #3 of 5 public schools in North East, 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 North East on the city page.
Is Rising Sun High a good school?
Rising Sun High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Cecil County Public Schools?
Besides Rising Sun High, Cecil County Public Schools also operates North East High (1,057 students), Elkton High (1,050 students), and Perryville High (858 students). See the Cecil 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.