Enrollment
465
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Potomac, MD
Wayside Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Wayside Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 240048000945
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wayside Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Maryland schools.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Potomac · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16:1
- large classes for Maryland
- 7.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Wayside Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wayside Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Potomac, MD.
School address
District: Montgomery County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240048000945 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.9%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-84% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wayside Elementary compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wayside Elementary
Wayside Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Potomac, Maryland, enrolling 465 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16:1 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.9% free-meal eligibility runs 84% below the Maryland average.
With 465 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 116 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #39.
Its student body is led by Asian (40%) and White (36%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 465 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Potomac's public schools, it stands alongside Bells Mill Elementary (570 students): Wayside Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16:1 vs 15.4:1).
Montgomery County Public Schools also operates Montgomery Blair High (3,266 students) and Walter Johnson High (3,016 students) alongside Wayside 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 Wayside Elementary compares
Wayside 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 | 16:1 | ▲ 10% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.9% | ▼ 84% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 465 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
465
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 84% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 70% in Maryland - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
6.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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 465 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
Asian 40.2%
White 36.3%
Hispanic or Latino 9.2%
Two or More 7.3%
African American 6.9%
Largest group: Asian at 40.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.8, Wayside 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 Wayside 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 Wayside Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery Blair High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Walter Johnson High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wheaton High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gaithersburg High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Seneca Valley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wayside 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 Potomac
2 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 (~465 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wayside Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Wayside 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 Wayside Elementary
How many students attend Wayside Elementary?
Wayside Elementary has 465 students enrolled. It is a public school in Potomac, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wayside Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Wayside Elementary is 16:1, which is 10% higher than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 2% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wayside Elementary?
7.9% of students at Wayside Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wayside Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Wayside Elementary is Asian at 40.2% of enrollment, in Potomac, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wayside Elementary?
Wayside 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).
How does Wayside Elementary rank among schools in Potomac?
By Resource Investment Index, Wayside Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Potomac, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Potomac on the city page.
Is Wayside Elementary a good school?
Wayside Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Wayside 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.