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Bethesda Elementary

Q: Is Bethesda Elementary a good school?

Bethesda Elementary ranks 115 th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

115^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 87% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Bethesda Elementary is a K-5 school in Bethesda, MD, serving 645 students within the highly-regarded Montgomery County Public Schools district, and it stands out as a strong, diverse school that performs well above state and district averages.

Bethesda Elementary is a solid academic performer, with proficiency rates in Math (61.5%) and ELA (69.5%) that are well above district and state averages. However, it is situated in a neighborhood with some of the highest-performing elementary schools in the state, such as Wood Acres Elementary (85.1% Math, 88.7% ELA) and Bannockburn Elementary (81.4% Math, 86.5% ELA), which outperform it by a wide margin. This positions Bethesda as a strong, but not elite, academic performer in a competitive area. The school's greatest strength is its proven ability to drive exceptional outcomes for a wide range of student populations, including those from low-income and non-English speaking backgrounds, ranking in the top 5% statewide for Hispanic, White, English Language Learner, and low socio-economic status students. This makes it one of the more economically diverse schools in the area, with 25.27% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, compared to just 2.11% at nearby Bradley Hills Elementary.

Despite its academic strengths, Bethesda Elementary faces a notable challenge with chronic absenteeism, which stands at 16.6%—roughly double the rate of high-performing neighbors like Wood Acres Elementary (6.7%) and Bradley Hills Elementary (8.9%). This paradox suggests that while the school's instructional programs are highly effective, there may be underlying community or logistical challenges related to attendance. Additionally, the school's state ranking has slipped from the 96th percentile to the 87th percentile in recent years, though this decline is relative—other schools are improving faster, rather than Bethesda's performance dropping significantly. Overall, Bethesda Elementary is a strong, diverse school with a proven track record of closing achievement gaps, but it needs to address attendance issues to keep pace with its rapidly improving neighborhood.

645

Students ?

16.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,907

Per pupil spending ?

25.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7600 Arlington Rd
Bethesda, MD 20814

(240) 204-5300

District: Montgomery County Public Schools

Students who attend Bethesda Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Westland Middle
High:	Bethesda-Chevy Chase High

Racial breakdown:

White:

35.5%

Asian:

22.8%

African American:

17.5%

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Compare Bethesda Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 87th percentile in 2016 → 87th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (63% vs 39% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 13% of Maryland elementary schools

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school63%

District avg48%

Maryland avg39%

115^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Top 13%▼ down 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

36^th of 132Elementary Schools in the Montgomery County Public Schools

8^th of 25Montgomery County Public Schools among Maryland districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2026	87.7	115 of 864	86.7%	★★★★☆
2025	87.2	110 of 865	87.3%	★★★★☆
2024	93.3	53 of 859	93.8%	★★★★★
2023	94.1	46 of 855	94.6%	★★★★★
2022	94.0	51 of 862	94.1%	★★★★★
2021	96.0	34 of 802	95.8%	★★★★★
2019	91.4	68 of 853	92.0%	★★★★★
2018	83.5	133 of 857	84.5%	★★★★☆
2017	88.7	99 of 847	88.3%	★★★★☆
2016	87.9	108 of 845	87.2%	★★★★☆
2015	91.3	74 of 859	91.4%	★★★★★
2014	77.1	192 of 867	77.9%	★★★★☆
2013	72.5	225 of 847	73.4%	★★★★☆
2012	73.6	203 of 857	76.3%	★★★★☆
2011	67.5	287 of 853	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	79.4	135 of 855	84.2%	★★★★☆
2009	71.2	263 of 850	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	72.0	248 of 838	70.4%	★★★★☆
2007	4.1	788 of 818	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	6.0	762 of 804	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	2.3	784 of 805	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	2.9	776 of 803	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	70.3	68 of 504	86.5%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	45.7	79 of 128	38.3%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	92.0	5 of 115	95.7%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	93.7	34 of 796	95.7%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	91.4	10 of 347	97.1%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	83.7	18 of 546	96.7%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	95.4	29 of 788	96.3%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	69.4	28 of 136	79.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	97.3	4 of 528	99.2%	★★★★★

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

White (2021)99th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2021)97th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)97th percentile~ school

Male (2021)96th percentile~ school

Female (2021)96th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2021)96th percentile~ school

African American (2021)87th percentile-9 vs school

Special Education (2021)79th percentile-16 vs school

Asian (2021)38th percentile-57 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts70%+18 vs state

Mathematics62%+34 vs state

Science52%+20 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student
Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Started Kg. 1956. Great school. I hated the lunches. We ate lunch in classroom. I stuffed the milk carton full of all the food I refused to eat. Never got caught! Close Quote

Schools Near Bethesda Elementary

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAP Mathematics (2026)				MCAP English Language Arts (2026)				MCAP Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAP Mathematics All Grades	MCAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAP English Language Arts All Grades	MCAP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Bethesda Elementary	Public	K-5	7600 Arlington Rd	Bethesda	20814	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 204-5300	645	40	16.1	25.3%	229 (35.5%)	113 (17.5%)	99 (15.3%)	147 (22.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (8.8%)	87.7	115^th of 864 public elementary schools	86.7%		87.2	110^th of 865 public elementary schools	87.3%	5	70.6	53.7	60.7	61.5	73.9	58.8	76.2	69.5	51.9	$18,907	$1,044	$17,863
Chevy Chase Elementary	Public, Magnet	3-5	4015 Rosemary St	Chevy Chase	20815	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(301) 657-4994	434	24	18.3	34.8%	186 (42.9%)	120 (27.6%)	58 (13.4%)	40 (9.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.5%)	93.8	47^th of 864 public elementary schools	94.6%		91.7	74^th of 865 public elementary schools	91.4%	27	63.8	64.7	72.7	67.6	70.6	75.3	77.3	75.0	72.7	$17,141	$761	$16,379
Somerset Elementary	Public	K-5	5811 Warwick Pl	Chevy Chase	20815	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-1100	314	21	14.8	20.1%	152 (48.4%)	38 (12.1%)	54 (17.2%)	39 (12.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (9.9%)	91.4	78^th of 864 public elementary schools	91.0%		93.3	57^th of 865 public elementary schools	93.4%	21	69.2	61.7	56.5	62.7	70.0	75.4	73.9	73.2	60.9	$21,975	$1,723	$20,252
Bradley Hills Elementary	Public	K-5	8701 Hartsdale Ave	Bethesda	20817	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 204-5210	474	28	16.9	2.1%	306 (64.6%)	10 (2.1%)	44 (9.3%)	68 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (9.7%)	97.8	10^th of 864 public elementary schools	98.8%		97.1	14^th of 865 public elementary schools	98.4%	4	91.0	82.3	73.5	81.6	87.0	85.3	81.3	84.3	66.7	$16,485	$914	$15,570
North Chevy Chase Elementary	Public	3-5	3700 Jones Bridge Rd	Chevy Chase	20815	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 204-5280	237	17	13.6	20.7%	111 (46.8%)	53 (22.4%)	40 (16.9%)	18 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.3%)	89.5	93^rd of 864 public elementary schools	89.2%		87.1	112^th of 865 public elementary schools	87.1%	19	66.1	54.5	59.2	59.5	73.3	68.4	70.4	70.5	62.0	$22,568	$1,827	$20,741
Wood Acres Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5800 Cromwell Drive	Bethesda	20816	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-1120	609	37	16.5	7.2%	399 (65.5%)	36 (5.9%)	75 (12.3%)	63 (10.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (5.9%)	98.7	3^rd of 864 public elementary schools	99.7%		97.3	12^th of 865 public elementary schools	98.6%	9	94.6	78.7	82.2	85.1	92.4	87.2	86.8	88.7	73.8	$17,540	$1,091	$16,449
Westbrook Elementary	Public	K-5	5110 Allan Ter	Bethesda	20816	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-1040	468	30	15.3	13.0%	281 (60.0%)	27 (5.8%)	73 (15.6%)	51 (10.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (7.5%)	93.9	46^th of 864 public elementary schools	94.7%		96.2	28^th of 865 public elementary schools	96.8%	18	76.5	72.1	59.5	69.8	76.2	73.2	80.0	76.3	58.9	$18,312	$1,102	$17,210
Bannockburn Elementary	Public	K-5	6520 Dalroy Ln	Bethesda	20817	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-1270	446	26	17.2	4.0%	275 (61.7%)	25 (5.6%)	39 (8.7%)	70 (15.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (8.3%)	98.2	7^th of 864 public elementary schools	99.2%		99	2^nd of 865 public elementary schools	99.8%	5	91.4	76.0	80.6	81.4	84.5	88.3	85.9	86.5	72.2	$16,919	$858	$16,062
Wyngate Elementary	Public	K-5	9300 Wadsworth Dr	Bethesda	20817	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-1080	640	37	17.1	3.4%	356 (55.6%)	32 (5.0%)	96 (15.0%)	80 (12.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	76 (11.9%)	95	32^nd of 864 public elementary schools	96.3%		95.4	34^th of 865 public elementary schools	96.1%	2	81.4	68.8	59.2	70.4	83.8	78.9	78.1	80.4	57.1	$15,297	$800	$14,497
Burning Tree Elementary	Public	K-5	7900 Beech Tree Rd	Bethesda	20817	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-1750	479	34	13.9	8.6%	246 (51.4%)	45 (9.4%)	50 (10.4%)	100 (20.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (7.7%)	94	44^th of 864 public elementary schools	94.9%		91.6	76^th of 865 public elementary schools	91.2%	32	77.9	65.8	68.7	70.4	79.1	69.7	73.2	73.8	66.3	$19,728	$1,083	$18,646

Frequently Asked Questions about Bethesda Elementary

What schools do graduates of Bethesda Elementary attend?

Students who attend Bethesda Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Westland Middle
High : Bethesda-Chevy Chase High

How many students attend Bethesda Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 645 students attended Bethesda Elementary.

Is Bethesda Elementary a good school?

Bethesda Elementary ranks 115^th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Bethesda Elementary in?

Montgomery County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of Bethesda Elementary?

Students at Bethesda Elementary are 36% White, 23% Asian, 18% African American, 15% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races.

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Latest Maryland data All new data »

2025–26 MCAP test scoresNewJul 28, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJun 13, 2026

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 MCAP test scoresAug 26, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Maryland State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.