Enrollment
665
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Berlin, MD
Stephen Decatur Middle
Federal NCES profile for Stephen Decatur Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 240072000880
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stephen Decatur Middle earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 83% of Maryland schools.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Berlin · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.7:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 45.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Stephen Decatur Middle has class sizes smaller than 83% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stephen Decatur Middle ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Berlin, MD.
School address
District: Worcester County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240072000880 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
57.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.6%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stephen Decatur Middle compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stephen Decatur Middle
Stephen Decatur Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Berlin, Maryland, enrolling 665 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 45.6% lands close to the Maryland typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 665 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 1,382 Maryland schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 303 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #280, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 333 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 30 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Worcester County Public Schools also operates Stephen Decatur High (1,462 students) and Showell Elementary (638 students) alongside Stephen Decatur 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 Stephen Decatur Middle compares
Stephen Decatur 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 | 11.7:1 | ▼ 19% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.6% | ▼ 7% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 665 | top 33% | - | - |
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.
665
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; 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
38.6%
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
$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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 333 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
21
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 30 expulsions.
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 70.2%
Hispanic or Latino 11.0%
Two or More 9.2%
African American 8.3%
Asian 1.4%
Largest group: White at 70.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.0, Stephen Decatur Middle is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Worcester County Public Schools, which includes Stephen Decatur Middle.
$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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Decatur High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Showell Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Berlin Intermediate | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ocean City Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Buckingham Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stephen Decatur Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,462
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- 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 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 (~665 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stephen Decatur Middle's federal record.
- Compare Stephen Decatur Middle 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 Middle
How many students attend Stephen Decatur Middle?
Stephen Decatur Middle has 665 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Berlin, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stephen Decatur Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Stephen Decatur Middle 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 Stephen Decatur Middle?
45.6% of students at Stephen Decatur Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stephen Decatur Middle?
The largest demographic group at Stephen Decatur Middle is White at 70.2% of enrollment, in Berlin, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stephen Decatur Middle?
Stephen Decatur Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Stephen Decatur Middle rank among public schools in Berlin?
By Resource Investment Index, Stephen Decatur Middle ranks #4 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 Middle a good school?
Stephen Decatur Middle earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts 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 Worcester County Public Schools?
Besides Stephen Decatur Middle, Worcester County Public Schools also operates Stephen Decatur High (1,462 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.