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Darnestown Elementary

Q: Is Darnestown Elementary a good school?

Darnestown Elementary ranks 198 th of 865 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

198^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 865 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 77% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Darnestown Elementary is a public elementary school in Gaithersburg, Maryland, serving 354 students in grades K-5. As part of the Montgomery County Public Schools district, which is ranked 8th out of 25 districts in Maryland, Darnestown Elementary has consistently performed well, ranking in the top 20% of Maryland elementary schools for several years.

Darnestown Elementary's academic performance is particularly noteworthy, with students consistently outperforming their peers in the district and state in both mathematics and English language arts proficiency across all grade levels. In the 2024-2025 school year, 49.4% of Darnestown students were proficient or better in mathematics, compared to 35.7% for the district and 26.5% for the state. In the same year, 63.5% of Darnestown students were proficient or better in English language arts, compared to 57% for the district and 50.8% for the state. The school's 5th-grade science proficiency rate of 36.1% in 2024-2025 also exceeds the district (31.6%) and state (25.6%) averages.

Darnestown Elementary's strong academic performance may be attributed to a combination of factors, including its relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (17.51% in 2023-2024) and its higher per-student spending of $25,575 in the 2023-2024 school year, compared to the district averages for nearby schools like Great Seneca Creek Elementary ($22,110) and Diamond Elementary ($19,076). The school also maintains a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 12.2 in the 2023-2024 school year, which is lower than the ratios at nearby schools like Thurgood Marshall Elementary (14.9) and Rachel Carson Elementary (16.3).

356

Students ?

11.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$25,575

Per pupil spending ?

17.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

15030 Turkey Foot Rd
Gaithersburg, MD 20878-3901

(301) 284-4260

District: Montgomery County Public Schools

Students who attend Darnestown Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Lakelands Park Middle
High:	Northwest High

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.4%

Asian:

14.9%

Hispanic:

14.6%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Darnestown Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 85th percentile in 2015 → 77th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (53% vs 38% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 23% of Maryland elementary schools

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school53%

District avg46%

Maryland avg38%

198^th of 865

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Top 23%▼ down 7 pts since 2015

From top 15% (2015) to top 23% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

53^rd of 131Elementary 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
2025	78.3	198 of 865	77.1%	★★★★☆
2024	78.9	174 of 859	79.7%	★★★★☆
2023	80.7	157 of 855	81.6%	★★★★☆
2022	86.7	116 of 862	86.5%	★★★★☆
2021	78.8	125 of 802	84.4%	★★★★☆
2019	81.4	152 of 853	82.2%	★★★★☆
2018	87.4	90 of 857	89.5%	★★★★☆
2017	95.0	34 of 847	96.0%	★★★★★
2016	90.6	78 of 845	90.8%	★★★★★
2015	84.6	133 of 859	84.5%	★★★★☆
2014	69.5	292 of 867	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	73.2	217 of 847	74.4%	★★★★☆
2012	73.5	205 of 857	76.1%	★★★★☆
2011	77.1	154 of 853	81.9%	★★★★☆
2010	85.2	53 of 855	93.8%	★★★★★
2009	85.1	58 of 850	93.2%	★★★★★
2008	84.8	56 of 838	93.3%	★★★★★
2007	8.1	754 of 818	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	13.6	708 of 804	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	4.8	768 of 805	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	3.5	772 of 803	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	76.9	129 of 796	83.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	82.5	97 of 788	87.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	66.3	154 of 528	70.8%	★★★★☆

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)

Male (2021)88th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2021)84th percentile~ school

White (2021)71st percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts64%+13 vs state

Mathematics49%+23 vs state

Science36%+10 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, January 18, 2024

Excellent school, great teachers, small close-knit community. Close Quote

Schools Near Darnestown Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MCAP Mathematics (2025)				MCAP English Language Arts (2025)				MCAP Science (2025)	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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Darnestown Elementary	Public	K-5	15030 Turkey Foot Rd	Gaithersburg	20878	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 284-4260	356	32	11.0	17.7%	183 (51.4%)	34 (9.6%)	52 (14.6%)	53 (14.9%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	31 (8.7%)	78.3	198^th of 865 public elementary schools	77.1%		78.9	174^th of 859 public elementary schools	79.7%	24	58.9	41.3	49.2	49.4	66.1	63.9	60.7	63.5	36.1	$25,575	$1,385	$24,190
Jones Lane Elementary	Public	K-5	15110 Jones Ln	Gaithersburg	20878	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-4260	428	36	11.9	34.3%	162 (37.9%)	43 (10.0%)	141 (32.9%)	49 (11.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.7%)	82.6	155^th of 865 public elementary schools	82.1%		81.7	150^th of 859 public elementary schools	82.5%	5	66.7	55.1	56.2	60.5	63.1	69.1	63.0	64.7	31.1	$19,727	$894	$18,832
Thurgood Marshall Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12260 McDonald Chapel Dr	Gaithersburg	20878	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-5990	553	44	12.7	43.9%	172 (31.1%)	120 (21.7%)	173 (31.3%)	55 (9.9%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (5.4%)	54	374^th of 865 public elementary schools	56.8%		53.4	348^th of 859 public elementary schools	59.5%	26	48.8	35.7	41.1	41.9	51.2	34.6	47.7	44.7	18.8	$19,278	$973	$18,305
Rachel Carson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Tschiffely Square Rd	Gaithersburg	20878	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-1840	671	40	16.6	27.0%	303 (45.2%)	55 (8.2%)	151 (22.5%)	106 (15.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	54 (8.0%)	94.5	40^th of 865 public elementary schools	95.4%		94.6	41^st of 859 public elementary schools	95.2%	1	78.9	68.6	67.0	71.4	78.1	74.1	75.7	75.9	52.3	$18,245	$1,000	$17,245
Travilah Elementary	Public	K-5	13801 DuFief Mill Rd	North Potomac	20878	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-4300	372	26	14.5	13.4%	110 (29.6%)	38 (10.2%)	35 (9.4%)	163 (43.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.7%)	96.1	29^th of 865 public elementary schools	96.6%		94.2	44^th of 859 public elementary schools	94.9%	15	83.8	70.3	68.5	74.7	93.6	73.0	78.1	82.2	53.4	$19,006	$846	$18,160
DuFief Elementary	Public	K-5	15001 Dufief Dr	Gaithersburg	20878	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-1600	276	26	10.7	20.7%	85 (30.8%)	46 (16.7%)	40 (14.5%)	77 (27.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (10.1%)	78.5	196^th of 865 public elementary schools	77.3%		77.3	189^th of 859 public elementary schools	78.0%	7	71.4	52.3	52.7	58.8	67.3	56.8	50.0	57.8	33.9	$31,430	$1,589	$29,841
Spark M. Matsunaga Elementary	Public	K-5	13902 Bromfield Rd	Germantown	20874	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-7820	530	39	13.4	28.7%	86 (16.2%)	117 (22.1%)	82 (15.5%)	197 (37.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (8.9%)	90.7	84^th of 865 public elementary schools	90.3%		91.6	64^th of 859 public elementary schools	92.5%	20	73.6	51.6	69.7	65.1	82.8	60.2	72.7	71.9	56.0	$22,112	$961	$21,151
Diamond Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4 Marquis Dr	Gaithersburg	20878	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-2120	654	44	14.9	12.4%	164 (25.1%)	60 (9.2%)	91 (13.9%)	292 (44.6%)	8 (1.2%)	3 (0.5%)	36 (5.5%)	93.5	51^st of 865 public elementary schools	94.1%		95.5	33^rd of 859 public elementary schools	96.2%	18	70.2	70.2	70.5	70.3	71.2	75.4	74.3	73.7	54.3	$19,076	$1,016	$18,060
Great Seneca Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	13010 Dairymaid Dr	Germantown	20874	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-4380	487	38	12.7	54.2%	82 (16.8%)	147 (30.2%)	161 (33.1%)	54 (11.1%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (8.0%)	47.8	422^nd of 865 public elementary schools	51.2%		46.5	407^th of 859 public elementary schools	52.6%	15	35.3	34.5	36.3	35.4	35.3	50.6	47.8	44.6	15.2	$22,110	$1,326	$20,784
Stone Mill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	14323 Stonebridge View Dr	North Potomac	20878	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-5450	516	35	14.5	14.1%	116 (22.5%)	55 (10.7%)	63 (12.2%)	239 (46.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.8%)	94.2	43^rd of 865 public elementary schools	95.0%		96.4	24^th of 859 public elementary schools	97.2%	19	78.3	69.6	73.8	74.1	79.3	71.4	69.1	73.6	55.4	$20,312	$1,169	$19,143

Frequently Asked Questions about Darnestown Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Darnestown Elementary?

Students at Darnestown Elementary are 51% White, 15% Asian, 15% Hispanic, 10% African American, 9% Two or more races.

How many students attend Darnestown Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 356 students attended Darnestown Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Darnestown Elementary attend?

Students who attend Darnestown Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Lakelands Park Middle
High : Northwest High

Is Darnestown Elementary a good school?

Darnestown Elementary ranks 198^th of 865 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Darnestown Elementary in?

Montgomery County Public Schools

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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.