Enrollment
580
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 240012000470
Sandy Plains Elementary — Baltimore, MD
Federal NCES profile for Sandy Plains Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 40/100.
👥 Class size 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Baltimore County Public Schools · Maryland
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 14.4:1 Maryland avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.7%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sandy Plains Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Sandy Plains Elementary reports 580 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 40.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 6% below the Maryland state mean of 14.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 15% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 74.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 52% above the Maryland average and 44% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 290 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 47.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Baltimore County Public Schools spends $18,242 per pupil district-wide, below the Maryland average of $22,498 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 47.3% from local sources (property taxes), 40.7% from the state, and 12.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Sandy Plains Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Maryland state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.5:1 | ▼ 6% | 14.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.7% | ▲ 52% | 49.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 580 | top 57% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
74.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 52% 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
13.5:1
students per teacher
— 6% below state mean
Top 32% in Maryland — lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
47.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$18,242
per pupil, district-wide
— below Maryland avg of $22,498
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 290 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 580 Top 57% in Maryland — larger than 43% of 1,383 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 40.0
Students per teacher 13.5:1 -6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 74.7% +52% vs state
NCES ID 240012000470
Student demographics
White 36.2%
Hispanic or Latino 27.9%
African American 22.4%
Two or More 11.2%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 36.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 290:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 47.1%
In-school suspensions 4
Out-of-school suspensions 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Baltimore County Public Schools, which includes Sandy Plains Elementary.
$18,242
Per student
-19%
vs Maryland
Avg $22,498
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 47.3%
State 40.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,087
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Enrollment
- 2,012
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Enrollment
- 1,922
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,900
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,889
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
Similar other schools in Baltimore
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Roland Park Elementary/Middle
Standard public school
1,371 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Lakeland Elementary/Middle
Standard public school
1,070 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
John Ruhrah Elementary/Middle
Standard public school
1,061 students 11.5:1 students per teacher
Academy for College and Career Exploration
Standard public school
967 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Hampstead Hill Academy
Standard public school
933 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
The Belair-Edison School
Standard public school
911 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Sandy Plains Elementary
How many students attend Sandy Plains Elementary?
Sandy Plains Elementary has 580 students enrolled. It is a other school in Baltimore, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sandy Plains Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sandy Plains Elementary is 13.5:1, which is 6% lower than the Maryland average of 14.4:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sandy Plains Elementary?
74.7% of students at Sandy Plains Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sandy Plains Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sandy Plains Elementary is White at 36.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Baltimore, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sandy Plains Elementary?
Sandy Plains Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.