Enrollment
640
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Finksburg, MD
Sandymount Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sandymount Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240021000545
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sandymount Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Maryland schools.
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.3:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 21.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 640
- students enrolled
Sandymount Elementary has class sizes larger than 91% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Carroll County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240021000545 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.9%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sandymount Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sandymount Elementary
Sandymount Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Finksburg, Maryland, enrolling 640 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.3:1 is larger than about 91% of Maryland schools and 26% above the 14.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 21.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 640 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maryland median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Among 264 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #233, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (9%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 640 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Carroll County Public Schools spends $15,757 per pupil, 23% below the Maryland average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Carroll County Public Schools also operates Westminster High (1,477 students) and Manchester Valley High (1,339 students) alongside Sandymount 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 Sandymount Elementary compares
Sandymount 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 | 18.3:1 | ▲ 26% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.9% | ▼ 55% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 640 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.3:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
640
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
18.3:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 91% in Maryland - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
20.2%
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
$15,757
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 640 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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
White 78.4%
Hispanic or Latino 8.8%
African American 5.6%
Asian 3.4%
Two or More 3.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 78.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.2, Sandymount Elementary is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carroll County Public Schools, which includes Sandymount Elementary.
$15,757
Per student
-23%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.2%
State 37.6%
Federal 8.2%
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 Sandymount Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Manchester Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Winters Mill High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Century High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Liberty High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sandymount Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,477
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,339
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,156
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,101
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,007
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
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 (~640 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sandymount Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sandymount Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Carroll 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 Sandymount Elementary
How many students attend Sandymount Elementary?
Sandymount Elementary has 640 students enrolled. It is a public school in Finksburg, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sandymount Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sandymount Elementary is 18.3:1, which is 26% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sandymount Elementary?
21.9% of students at Sandymount Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sandymount Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sandymount Elementary is White at 78.4% of enrollment, in Finksburg, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sandymount Elementary?
Sandymount Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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).
Is Sandymount Elementary a good school?
Sandymount Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 Carroll County Public Schools?
Besides Sandymount Elementary, Carroll County Public Schools also operates Westminster High (1,477 students), Manchester Valley High (1,339 students), and Winters Mill High (1,156 students). See the Carroll 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.