Enrollment
933
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Sykesville, MD
South Carroll High
Federal NCES profile for South Carroll High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 240021000546
👥 S:T ratio 34
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Carroll High earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Maryland schools.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Sykesville · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.4:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 17.2%
- free-lunch eligible
South Carroll High has class sizes larger than 75% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Carroll High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Sykesville, MD.
School address
District: Carroll County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240021000546 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
57.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.2%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Carroll High compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Carroll High
South Carroll High is a lower-poverty, mid-sized high school in Sykesville, Maryland, enrolling 933 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 17.2% free-meal eligibility runs 65% below the Maryland average.
Enrollment of 933 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 167 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #89.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 38/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 24 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 233 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Carroll County Public Schools spends $15,757 per pupil, 23% below the Maryland average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Sykesville's high schools, it stands alongside Century High (1,101 students): South Carroll High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.4:1 vs 17.2:1).
Carroll County Public Schools also operates Westminster High (1,477 students) and Manchester Valley High (1,339 students) alongside South Carroll High.
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 South Carroll High compares
South Carroll High on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.4:1 | ▲ 13% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.2% | ▼ 65% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 933 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
933
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 75% in Maryland - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
32.6%
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 233 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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 77.9%
Hispanic or Latino 12.1%
African American 3.4%
Asian 2.9%
Two or More 2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 77.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.6, South Carroll High is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 24
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carroll County Public Schools, which includes South Carroll High.
$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 South Carroll High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Manchester Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winters Mill High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Century High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Liberty High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Carroll High'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 high schools in Sykesville
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~933 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Carroll High's federal record.
- Compare South Carroll High 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 South Carroll High
How many students attend South Carroll High?
South Carroll High has 933 students enrolled. It is a high school in Sykesville, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Carroll High?
The student-teacher ratio at South Carroll High is 16.4:1, which is 13% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Carroll High?
17.2% of students at South Carroll High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Carroll High?
The largest demographic group at South Carroll High is White at 77.9% of enrollment, in Sykesville, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Carroll High?
South Carroll High has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Carroll High rank among high schools in Sykesville?
By Resource Investment Index, South Carroll High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Sykesville, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Sykesville on the city page.
Is South Carroll High a good school?
South Carroll High earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 South Carroll High, 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.