Enrollment
746
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gaithersburg, MD
South Lake Elementary
Federal NCES profile for South Lake Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240048000924
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Lake Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of Maryland schools.
- #11 of 16
- schools in Gaithersburg · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.7:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 82.7%
- free-lunch eligible
South Lake Elementary has class sizes smaller than 83% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Lake Elementary ranks #11 of 16 schools in Gaithersburg, MD.
School address
District: Montgomery County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240048000924 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.7%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Lake Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Lake Elementary
South Lake Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Gaithersburg, Maryland, enrolling 746 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 82.7% of students qualify for free meals, 69% above the Maryland average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 746 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 150 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #64.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (75%) and African American (17%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 373 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 56.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Gaithersburg's public schools, it stands alongside Whetstone Elementary (711 students): South Lake Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.7:1 vs 12.1:1).
Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students) and Walter Johnson High (3,016 students) alongside South Lake 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 South Lake Elementary compares
South Lake 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 | 11.7:1 | ▼ 19% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.7% | ▲ 69% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 746 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
746
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% 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
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 17% in Maryland - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
56.7%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 373 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 74.7%
African American 17.3%
Asian 4.3%
Two or More 2.0%
White 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 74.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.0, South Lake Elementary is less 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 South Lake Elementary.
$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 South Lake Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery Blair High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Walter Johnson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wheaton High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gaithersburg High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Seneca Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Lake Elementary'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 other schools in Gaithersburg
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Whetstone Elementary
Standard public school
711 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
Rachel Carson Elementary
Standard public school
671 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Gaithersburg Elementary
Standard public school
603 students 8.9:1 students per teacher
Brown Station Elementary
Standard public school
572 students 9.9:1 students per teacher
Harriet R. Tubman Elementary
Standard public school
571 students 13:1 students per teacher
Rosemont Elementary
Standard public school
564 students 10.8:1 students per teacher
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 (~746 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Lake Elementary's federal record.
- Compare South Lake Elementary 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 South Lake Elementary
How many students attend South Lake Elementary?
South Lake Elementary has 746 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gaithersburg, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Lake Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at South Lake Elementary is 11.7:1, which is 19% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 25% 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 South Lake Elementary?
82.7% of students at South Lake Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Lake Elementary?
The largest demographic group at South Lake Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 74.7% of enrollment, in Gaithersburg, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Lake Elementary?
South Lake 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).
How does South Lake Elementary rank among schools in Gaithersburg?
By Resource Investment Index, South Lake Elementary ranks #11 of 16 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 schools in Gaithersburg on the city page.
Is South Lake Elementary a good school?
South Lake Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% 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 Montgomery County Public Schools?
Besides South Lake Elementary, 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.