Enrollment
1,462
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Berlin, MD
Stephen Decatur High
Federal NCES profile for Stephen Decatur High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 240072001335
👥 S:T ratio 33
📚 AP courses 25
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stephen Decatur High earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Maryland schools.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Berlin · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.8:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 39.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Stephen Decatur High has class sizes larger than 79% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stephen Decatur High ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Berlin, MD.
School address
District: Worcester County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240072001335 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
87.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.9%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stephen Decatur High compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stephen Decatur High
Stephen Decatur High is a large high school in Berlin, Maryland, enrolling 1,462 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 39.9% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Maryland, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,462 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 1,382 Maryland schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 91 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #90, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 47/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 5 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 366 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Worcester County Public Schools also operates Stephen Decatur Middle (665 students) and Showell Elementary (638 students) alongside Stephen Decatur 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 Stephen Decatur High compares
Stephen Decatur 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 | 16.8:1 | ▲ 16% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.9% | ▼ 19% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,462 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,462
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 79% in Maryland - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
40.7%
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
$21,280
per pupil, district-wide
- above Maryland avg of $20,446
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 366 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
100
in-school suspensions + 93 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.2 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 71.5%
Hispanic or Latino 9.8%
African American 9.0%
Two or More 7.8%
Asian 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 71.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.5, Stephen Decatur High is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 5
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Worcester County Public Schools, which includes Stephen Decatur High.
$21,280
Per student
+4%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 67.9%
State 23.5%
Federal 8.6%
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 Stephen Decatur High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Decatur Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Showell Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Berlin Intermediate | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ocean City Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Buckingham Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stephen Decatur High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 665
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 638
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 613
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 566
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 518
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
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 (~1,462 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stephen Decatur High's federal record.
- Compare Stephen Decatur High against another school. Compare schools
- Worcester 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 Stephen Decatur High
How many students attend Stephen Decatur High?
Stephen Decatur High has 1,462 students enrolled. It is a high school in Berlin, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stephen Decatur High?
The student-teacher ratio at Stephen Decatur High is 16.8:1, which is 16% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Stephen Decatur High?
39.9% of students at Stephen Decatur High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stephen Decatur High?
The largest demographic group at Stephen Decatur High is White at 71.5% of enrollment, in Berlin, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stephen Decatur High?
Stephen Decatur High has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower 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 Stephen Decatur High rank among public schools in Berlin?
By Resource Investment Index, Stephen Decatur High ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Berlin, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Berlin on the city page.
Is Stephen Decatur High a good school?
Stephen Decatur High earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Worcester County Public Schools?
Besides Stephen Decatur High, Worcester County Public Schools also operates Stephen Decatur Middle (665 students), Showell Elementary (638 students), and Berlin Intermediate (613 students). See the Worcester 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.