Enrollment
51
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kensington, MD
Stephen Knolls School
Federal NCES profile for Stephen Knolls School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240048000496
👥 S:T ratio 83
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stephen Knolls School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Maryland schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Maryland.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Kensington · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 4.3:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 49.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Stephen Knolls School has class sizes smaller than 98% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stephen Knolls School ranks #1 of 4 schools in Kensington, MD.
School address
District: Montgomery County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240048000496 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
4.3:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-70% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.3%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stephen Knolls School compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stephen Knolls School
Stephen Knolls School is a small combined-grade school in Kensington, Maryland, enrolling 51 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 4.3:1, Stephen Knolls School is leaner than roughly 98% of Maryland schools and 70% under the state's 14.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 49.3% lands close to the Maryland typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 98% of Maryland schools, with 51 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (35%) and White (31%) (diversity index 71/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Kensington's public schools, it stands alongside Garrett Park Elementary (724 students): Stephen Knolls School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (4.3:1 vs 17.2:1).
Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students) and Walter Johnson High (3,016 students) alongside Stephen Knolls School.
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 Knolls School compares
Stephen Knolls School on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 4.3:1 | ▼ 70% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.3% | ▲ 1% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 51 | top 98% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
4.3:1
Leaner classes than 99% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
51
Bigger than 6% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% 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
4.3:1
students per teacher
- 70% below state mean
Top 2% in Maryland - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
29.4%
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 35.3%
White 31.4%
African American 23.5%
Asian 9.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 35.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.2, Stephen Knolls School is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montgomery County Public Schools, which includes Stephen Knolls School.
$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 Stephen Knolls School 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 | Higher S:T ratio |
| Seneca Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stephen Knolls School'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 Kensington
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~51 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~4.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stephen Knolls School's federal record.
- Compare Stephen Knolls School 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 Stephen Knolls School
How many students attend Stephen Knolls School?
Stephen Knolls School has 51 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Kensington, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stephen Knolls School?
The student-teacher ratio at Stephen Knolls School is 4.3:1, which is 70% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 73% 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 Knolls School?
49.3% of students at Stephen Knolls School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stephen Knolls School?
The largest demographic group at Stephen Knolls School is Hispanic or Latino at 35.3% of enrollment, in Kensington, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stephen Knolls School?
Stephen Knolls School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Stephen Knolls School rank among schools in Kensington?
By Resource Investment Index, Stephen Knolls School ranks #1 of 4 schools in Kensington, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Kensington on the city page.
Is Stephen Knolls School a good school?
Stephen Knolls School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Maryland schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Maryland. 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 Stephen Knolls School, 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.