Enrollment
448
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gaithersburg, MD
Strawberry Knoll Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Strawberry Knoll Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240048001512
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Strawberry Knoll Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Maryland schools.
- #14 of 16
- schools in Gaithersburg · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.7:1
- small classes for Maryland
- 57.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Strawberry Knoll Elementary has class sizes smaller than 90% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Strawberry Knoll Elementary ranks #14 of 16 schools in Gaithersburg, MD.
School address
District: Montgomery County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240048001512 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.7:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.2%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Strawberry Knoll Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Strawberry Knoll Elementary
Strawberry Knoll Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Gaithersburg, Maryland, enrolling 448 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.7:1, Strawberry Knoll Elementary is leaner than roughly 90% of Maryland schools and 26% under the state's 14.5:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 57.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 448 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maryland median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Among 302 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #235, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (49%) and African American (23%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 448 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Gaithersburg's public schools, it stands alongside South Lake Elementary (746 students): Strawberry Knoll Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.7:1 vs 11.7:1).
Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students) and Walter Johnson High (3,016 students) alongside Strawberry Knoll 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 Strawberry Knoll Elementary compares
Strawberry Knoll 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 | 10.7:1 | ▼ 26% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.2% | ▲ 17% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 448 | top 65% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.7:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
448
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
10.7:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 10% in Maryland - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
41.3%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 448 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 48.9%
African American 23.4%
White 12.1%
Asian 10.5%
Two or More 4.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.8, Strawberry Knoll Elementary is more 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 Strawberry Knoll 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 Strawberry Knoll 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 | 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 Strawberry Knoll 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.
South Lake Elementary
Standard public school
746 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
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
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 (~448 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Strawberry Knoll Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Strawberry Knoll 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 Strawberry Knoll Elementary
How many students attend Strawberry Knoll Elementary?
Strawberry Knoll Elementary has 448 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gaithersburg, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Strawberry Knoll Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Strawberry Knoll Elementary is 10.7:1, which is 26% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 32% 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 Strawberry Knoll Elementary?
57.2% of students at Strawberry Knoll Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Strawberry Knoll Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Strawberry Knoll Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 48.9% of enrollment, in Gaithersburg, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Strawberry Knoll Elementary?
Strawberry Knoll Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Strawberry Knoll Elementary rank among schools in Gaithersburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Strawberry Knoll Elementary ranks #14 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 Strawberry Knoll Elementary a good school?
Strawberry Knoll Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% 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 Strawberry Knoll 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.