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Darnestown Elementary

Q: Is Darnestown Elementary a good school?

Darnestown Elementary ranks 144 th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

144^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 83% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Darnestown Elementary is a K-5 school in Gaithersburg, MD, serving 356 students within the Montgomery County Public Schools district, and it consistently ranks in the top 20% of Maryland elementary schools with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Darnestown stands out for its exceptional math performance, with 55.4% of students proficient—far above the district average of 36.9% and the state average of 27.1%. This is a key differentiator from nearby schools like Stone Mill Elementary (70.7% math proficiency) and Travilah Elementary (high math scores), but Darnestown outperforms schools with similar demographics, such as Jones Lane Elementary (54% math). The school also invests heavily in students, spending $25,575 per pupil—the second-highest among its peers—and maintaining a low student-to-teacher ratio of 11:1, which is much better than Diamond Elementary (14.9:1) or Travilah Elementary (14.5:1). Science is another bright spot, with 5th-grade proficiency jumping to 51.7% in 2025-2026, rivaling top-tier schools like Diamond (63.9%) and Travilah (62.5%).

While Darnestown’s English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency (64.8%) is solid and above the district average (58.5%), it is not as standout as its math and science scores, with several nearby schools like Spark M. Matsunaga Elementary and Rachel Carson Elementary posting higher ELA results. The school has seen a slight downward trend in its state ranking from a peak of 34th in 2016-2017 to its current 144th, though it remains a stable, high-performing option in a neighborhood where school performance varies widely—unlike struggling schools like Brown Station Elementary (ranked 606th) or Great Seneca Creek Elementary (ranked 441st). A persistent challenge is chronic absenteeism, which at 17.3% is higher than peers like Travilah (7.8%) and Stone Mill (12.2%), an area for improvement that parents may want to monitor.

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 — 91st percentile in 2016 → 83rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Maryland average (59% vs 39% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 17% of Maryland elementary schools

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school59%

District avg48%

Maryland avg39%

144^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Top 17%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From top 9% (2016) to top 17% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

41^st 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	83.7	144 of 864	83.3%	★★★★☆
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 (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts65%+13 vs state

Mathematics55%+28 vs state

Science52%+19 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

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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
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%)	83.7	144^th of 864 public elementary schools	83.3%		78.3	198^th of 865 public elementary schools	77.1%	54	66.7	53.7	46.6	55.4	68.5	68.5	57.9	64.8	51.7	$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%)	81.5	169^th of 864 public elementary schools	80.4%		82.6	155^th of 865 public elementary schools	82.1%	14	69.2	50.4	45.8	54.0	69.2	61.1	63.9	64.0	45.8	$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%)	53.7	379^th of 864 public elementary schools	56.1%		54	374^th of 865 public elementary schools	56.8%	5	53.9	46.9	28.2	43.0	51.3	42.5	38.2	44.0	26.6	$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%)	94.2	42^nd of 864 public elementary schools	95.1%		94.5	40^th of 865 public elementary schools	95.4%	2	70.4	69.3	64.0	67.9	76.6	80.5	75.7	77.6	60.7	$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%)	97.4	13^th of 864 public elementary schools	98.5%		96.1	29^th of 865 public elementary schools	96.6%	16	88.5	77.8	78.1	81.1	90.2	86.3	77.8	84.5	62.5	$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%)	82.2	160^th of 864 public elementary schools	81.5%		78.5	196^th of 865 public elementary schools	77.3%	36	69.6	62.5	51.1	61.0	61.7	62.5	54.3	59.6	48.9	$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%)	91.6	74^th of 864 public elementary schools	91.4%		90.7	84^th of 865 public elementary schools	90.3%	10	72.1	57.1	64.2	64.3	78.3	75.3	65.4	73.1	61.0	$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%)	94.4	39^th of 864 public elementary schools	95.5%		93.5	51^st of 865 public elementary schools	94.1%	12	69.4	68.8	73.9	70.9	76.2	73.7	78.6	76.4	63.9	$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%)	46.5	441^st of 864 public elementary schools	49.0%		47.8	422^nd of 865 public elementary schools	51.2%	19	48.8	29.1	27.2	34.9	47.6	44.2	40.7	44.2	22.9	$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%)	91.7	72^nd of 864 public elementary schools	91.7%		94.2	43^rd of 865 public elementary schools	95.0%	29	76.9	74.0	60.0	70.7	71.3	77.2	65.5	71.6	52.8	$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.

Is Darnestown Elementary a good school?

Darnestown Elementary ranks 144^th of 864 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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

What district is Darnestown Elementary in?

Montgomery County Public Schools

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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.