Enrollment
525
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Jefferson, MD
Valley Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Valley Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240033000653
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Maryland schools.
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.9:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 24.2%
- free-lunch eligible
- 525
- students enrolled
Valley Elementary has class sizes larger than 80% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Frederick County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240033000653 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.2%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Elementary
Valley Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Jefferson, Maryland, enrolling 525 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 525 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maryland median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 267 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #60.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 263 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Frederick County Public Schools spends $14,981 per pupil, 27% below the Maryland average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Frederick County Public Schools also operates Gov. Thomas Johnson High (2,066 students) and Urbana High (1,989 students) alongside Valley 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 Valley Elementary compares
Valley 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 | 16.9:1 | ▲ 17% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.2% | ▼ 51% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 525 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
525
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% 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
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 17% above state mean
Top 80% in Maryland - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
19.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,981
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 263 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 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
White 68.0%
Hispanic or Latino 18.1%
Two or More 6.5%
African American 4.8%
Asian 2.7%
Largest group: White at 68.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.8, Valley Elementary is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Frederick County Public Schools, which includes Valley Elementary.
$14,981
Per student
-27%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.4%
State 38.3%
Federal 11.2%
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 Valley Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gov. Thomas Johnson High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Urbana High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Frederick High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tuscarora High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oakdale High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,066
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,989
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,821
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,735
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,702
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
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 (~525 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Valley Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Frederick 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 Valley Elementary
How many students attend Valley Elementary?
Valley Elementary has 525 students enrolled. It is a public school in Jefferson, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Elementary is 16.9:1, which is 17% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Valley Elementary?
24.2% of students at Valley Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Valley Elementary is White at 68.0% of enrollment, in Jefferson, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Elementary?
Valley Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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).
Is Valley Elementary a good school?
Valley Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% 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 Frederick County Public Schools?
Besides Valley Elementary, Frederick County Public Schools also operates Gov. Thomas Johnson High (2,066 students), Urbana High (1,989 students), and Frederick High (1,821 students). See the Frederick 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.