Enrollment
481
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Joppa, MD
Riverside Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Riverside Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240039000713
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Riverside Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Joppa · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 63.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Riverside Elementary has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Joppa, MD.
School address
District: Harford County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240039000713 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.9%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Riverside Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Riverside Elementary
Riverside Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Joppa, Maryland, enrolling 481 students.
At 15:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Maryland median, within a few percentage points of the 14.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 63.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 481 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maryland median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Among 316 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #17, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (39%) and White (33%) (diversity index 71/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Harford County Public Schools spends $15,192 per pupil, 26% below the Maryland average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Joppa's public schools, it stands alongside Magnolia Elementary (545 students): Riverside Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15:1 vs 12.4:1).
Harford County Public Schools also operates Edgewood High (1,440 students) and Aberdeen High (1,396 students) alongside Riverside 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 Riverside Elementary compares
Riverside 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 | 15:1 | ▲ 3% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.9% | ▲ 30% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 481 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
481
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
15:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 57% in Maryland - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.1%
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
$15,192
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 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 39.3%
White 32.6%
Hispanic or Latino 15.2%
Two or More 10.4%
Asian 2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 39.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.5, Riverside Elementary is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harford County Public Schools, which includes Riverside Elementary.
$15,192
Per student
-26%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.6%
State 35.4%
Federal 12.0%
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 Riverside Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edgewood High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aberdeen High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bel Air High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| C. Milton Wright High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Harford High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Riverside Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,440
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,396
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 1,341
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,291
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,204
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar other schools in Joppa
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~481 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Riverside Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Riverside Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Harford 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 Riverside Elementary
How many students attend Riverside Elementary?
Riverside Elementary has 481 students enrolled. It is a public school in Joppa, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Riverside Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Riverside Elementary is 15:1, which is 3% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Riverside Elementary?
63.9% of students at Riverside Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Riverside Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Riverside Elementary is African American at 39.3% of enrollment, in Joppa, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Riverside Elementary?
Riverside Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Riverside Elementary rank among schools in Joppa?
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Joppa, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Joppa on the city page.
Is Riverside Elementary a good school?
Riverside Elementary earns 50/100 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 Harford County Public Schools?
Besides Riverside Elementary, Harford County Public Schools also operates Edgewood High (1,440 students), Aberdeen High (1,396 students), and Bel Air High (1,341 students). See the Harford 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.