Enrollment
393
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cambridge, MD
Sandy Hill Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sandy Hill Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240030000621
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sandy Hill Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Maryland schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Cambridge · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.7:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Sandy Hill Elementary has class sizes smaller than 74% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sandy Hill Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Cambridge, MD.
School address
District: Dorchester County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240030000621 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+104% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sandy Hill Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sandy Hill Elementary
Sandy Hill Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Cambridge, Maryland, enrolling 393 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 104% above the Maryland average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 393 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 47 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #27.
Its student body is led by African American (60%) and White (19%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 393 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 63.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Cambridge's public schools, it stands alongside Maple Elementary School (483 students): Sandy Hill Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.7:1 vs 14.6:1).
Dorchester County Public Schools also operates Cambridge-South Dorchester High School (811 students) and North Dorchester High School (526 students) alongside Sandy Hill 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 Sandy Hill Elementary compares
Sandy Hill 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 12% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 104% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 393 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
393
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 104% above the Maryland average of 49.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 26% in Maryland - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
63.4%
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
$24,096
per pupil, district-wide
- above Maryland avg of $20,446
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 393 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 57 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.5 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 59.5%
White 18.8%
Hispanic or Latino 12.7%
Two or More 8.4%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 59.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.7, Sandy Hill Elementary is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dorchester County Public Schools, which includes Sandy Hill Elementary.
$24,096
Per student
+18%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+45%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.8%
State 65.2%
Federal 15.0%
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 Sandy Hill Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge-South Dorchester High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Dorchester High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mace's Lane Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Maple Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Dorchester Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sandy Hill Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 811
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 526
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 483
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 414
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar other schools in Cambridge
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 (~393 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sandy Hill Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sandy Hill Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Dorchester 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 Sandy Hill Elementary
How many students attend Sandy Hill Elementary?
Sandy Hill Elementary has 393 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cambridge, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sandy Hill Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sandy Hill Elementary is 12.7:1, which is 12% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 19% 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 Sandy Hill Elementary?
100.0% of students at Sandy Hill Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sandy Hill Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sandy Hill Elementary is African American at 59.5% of enrollment, in Cambridge, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sandy Hill Elementary?
Sandy Hill Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Sandy Hill Elementary rank among schools in Cambridge?
By Resource Investment Index, Sandy Hill Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Cambridge, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Cambridge on the city page.
Is Sandy Hill Elementary a good school?
Sandy Hill Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% 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 Dorchester County Public Schools?
Besides Sandy Hill Elementary, Dorchester County Public Schools also operates Cambridge-South Dorchester High School (811 students), North Dorchester High School (526 students), and Mace's Lane Middle School (490 students). See the Dorchester 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.