Enrollment
514
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Gaithersburg, MD
Shady Grove Middle
Federal NCES profile for Shady Grove Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 240048001127
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shady Grove Middle earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #2 of 5
- middle schools in Gaithersburg · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.2:1
- students per teacher
- 51.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Shady Grove Middle has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shady Grove Middle ranks #2 of 5 middle schools in Gaithersburg, MD.
School address
District: Montgomery County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240048001127 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.1%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shady Grove Middle compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shady Grove Middle
Shady Grove Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Gaithersburg, Maryland, enrolling 514 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 51.1% lands close to the Maryland typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 514 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 315 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #14, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (44%) and White (19%) (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 206 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Gaithersburg's middle schools, it stands alongside Lakelands Park Middle (993 students): Shady Grove Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.2:1 vs 13.6:1).
Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students) and Walter Johnson High (3,016 students) alongside Shady Grove Middle.
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 Shady Grove Middle compares
Shady Grove Middle on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.2:1 | ▼ 9% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.1% | ▲ 4% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 514 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
514
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% 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
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 32% in Maryland - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.9%
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
$18,101
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.5 FTE
Per 206 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
21
in-school suspensions + 30 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.9 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
Hispanic or Latino 44.4%
White 18.8%
African American 18.0%
Asian 12.1%
Two or More 6.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.6, Shady Grove Middle is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montgomery County Public Schools, which includes Shady Grove Middle.
$18,101
Per student
-11%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 66.0%
State 23.7%
Federal 10.3%
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 Shady Grove Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery Blair High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Walter Johnson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wheaton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gaithersburg High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Seneca Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shady Grove Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,266
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 3,016
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 2,794
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,441
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 2,409
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar middle schools in Gaithersburg
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Lakelands Park Middle
Standard public school
993 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Gaithersburg Middle
Standard public school
869 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Forest Oak Middle
Standard public school
828 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Ridgeview Middle
Standard public school
722 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~514 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shady Grove Middle's federal record.
- Compare Shady Grove Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Montgomery 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 Shady Grove Middle
How many students attend Shady Grove Middle?
Shady Grove Middle has 514 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Gaithersburg, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shady Grove Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Shady Grove Middle is 13.2:1, which is 9% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 16% 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 Shady Grove Middle?
51.1% of students at Shady Grove Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shady Grove Middle?
The largest demographic group at Shady Grove Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 44.4% of enrollment, in Gaithersburg, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shady Grove Middle?
Shady Grove Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 Shady Grove Middle rank among middle schools in Gaithersburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Shady Grove Middle ranks #2 of 5 middle schools in Gaithersburg, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Gaithersburg on the city page.
Is Shady Grove Middle a good school?
Shady Grove Middle earns 53/100 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 Montgomery County Public Schools?
Besides Shady Grove Middle, Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students), Walter Johnson High (3,016 students), and Wheaton High (2,794 students). See the Montgomery 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.