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Gaithersburg Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

786^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 864 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 9% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Gaithersburg Elementary is a public school in Gaithersburg, MD, serving 603 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Montgomery County Public Schools district, and it faces significant academic challenges despite high per-pupil spending and a very low student-to-teacher ratio of 9.6:1.

Academically, Gaithersburg Elementary struggles with critically low proficiency rates. In the 2025-2026 school year, only 13.1% of students were proficient in Math and 19% in English Language Arts (ELA)—dramatically lower than the district average (36.9% Math, 58.5% ELA) and the state average (27.1% Math, 51.7% ELA). This makes it the lowest-performing among nearby schools; for comparison, Mill Creek Towne Elementary achieves proficiency rates roughly 3-4 times higher (51.4% Math, 55.4% ELA). The school also shows a troubling pattern where 4th-grade Math proficiency drops sharply to 8.9% from 19.5% in 3rd grade, suggesting difficulty building on foundational skills. Chronic absenteeism is a severe issue, with a rate of 29.7% in 2024-2025, well above the district average of 22.6%, and it peaked at 45% in 2021-2022. This absenteeism is strongly linked to low test scores, as nearby schools with lower absenteeism, like Strawberry Knoll Elementary (22.0%) and Washington Grove Elementary (22.1%), perform significantly better.

Despite spending $25,304 per student—higher than most nearby schools like Whetstone Elementary ($21,437) and South Lake Elementary ($21,305)—Gaithersburg Elementary has seen its state ranking decline from the 14th percentile in 2022-2023 to the 9th percentile in 2025-2026. Notably, Harriet R. Tubman Elementary, located just 0.61 miles away and serving a similar student population, achieves significantly higher proficiency (23.9% Math, 35.5% ELA) and has a lower chronic absenteeism rate (24.1%), indicating that school-specific factors like climate and instruction play a key role in outcomes.

603

Students ?

9.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$25,304

Per pupil spending ?

67.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

35 N Summit Ave
Gaithersburg, MD 20877-2921

(240) 740-4900

District: Montgomery County Public Schools

Students who attend Gaithersburg Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Gaithersburg Middle
High:	Gaithersburg High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

75.6%

African American:

15.8%

Two or more races:

3.6%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Gaithersburg Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 19th percentile in 2016 → 9th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (15% vs 39% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (9th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 10 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school15%

District avg48%

Maryland avg39%

786^th of 864

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 9%▼ down 10 pts since 2016

From bottom 19% (2016) to bottom 9% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

130^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	12.9	786 of 864	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.2	791 of 865	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.8	791 of 859	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.6	739 of 855	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.4	708 of 862	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.1	778 of 802	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.3	652 of 853	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.7	726 of 857	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	16.7	707 of 847	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	18.9	684 of 845	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	11.7	815 of 859	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	14.9	768 of 867	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	10.0	799 of 847	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	16.9	758 of 857	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	20.5	730 of 853	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	29.0	682 of 855	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	29.5	672 of 850	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	36.3	609 of 838	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	66.4	299 of 818	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	62.4	334 of 804	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2005	63.2	334 of 805	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2004	56.3	417 of 803	48.1%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	29.2	383 of 504	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	13.1	750 of 796	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	20.7	518 of 546	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2021)24th percentile+21 vs school

Female (2021)6th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)5th percentile~ school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts19%-33 vs state

Mathematics13%-14 vs state

Science9%-23 vs state

1.0

3 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★0

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1★3

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, March 28, 2017

If I could give 1/2 a star I would. My son currently attends this school and hopefully will not next year. The high enrollment of non-English speaking children is having an impact on my child's education and social development. It is difficult for children of a certain age to engage with other child that do not speak the same language. The administration does nothing to foster interaction between the students. They do have many events for parents/students but most are geared towards helping kids catch up in their learning. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, September 9, 2013

The homework at this school is "reading everyday for 20 minutes" . No wonder the test scores are falling down. I feel sorry for the kids who go there. Close Quote

Schools Near Gaithersburg 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
Gaithersburg Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	35 N Summit Ave	Gaithersburg	20877	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(240) 740-4900	603	63	9.6	67.5%	10 (1.7%)	95 (15.8%)	456 (75.6%)	18 (3.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.6%)	12.9	786^th of 864 public elementary schools	9.0%		13.2	791^st of 865 public elementary schools	8.6%	5	19.5	8.9	11.5	13.1	15.9	17.6	22.9	19.0	9.3	$25,304	$2,866	$22,438
Harriet R. Tubman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	400 Victory Farm Dr	Gaithersburg	20877	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(240) 740-6770	571	51	11.2	61.6%	25 (4.4%)	109 (19.1%)	391 (68.5%)	24 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (3.7%)	29.3	583^rd of 864 public elementary schools	32.5%		23.8	632^nd of 865 public elementary schools	26.9%	49	30.2	23.5	16.9	23.9	38.8	36.7	30.3	35.5	18.0	$21,951	$2,144	$19,806
South Lake Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	18201 Contour Road	Gaithersburg	20877	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(240) 740-7330	746	62	12.0	66.1%	10 (1.3%)	129 (17.3%)	557 (74.7%)	32 (4.3%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	15 (2.0%)	14.7	757^th of 864 public elementary schools	12.4%		15.3	750^th of 865 public elementary schools	13.3%	7	15.9	15.7	12.1	14.7	16.1	22.6	28.4	22.0	8.1	$21,305	$2,781	$18,524
Washington Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8712 Oakmont St	Gaithersburg	20877	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(240) 740-0300	480	46	10.3	52.7%	52 (10.8%)	105 (21.9%)	276 (57.5%)	28 (5.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.5%)	33.1	544^th of 864 public elementary schools	37.0%		35.5	515^th of 865 public elementary schools	40.5%	29	26.5	22.0	15.9	21.7	40.8	44.9	39.5	41.8	19.6	$25,160	$2,563	$22,598
Summit Hall Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	101 W Deer Park Rd	Gaithersburg	20877	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 284-4150	413	44	9.4	67.6%	8 (1.9%)	80 (19.4%)	300 (72.6%)	16 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.2%)	13	780^th of 864 public elementary schools	9.7%		14.4	763^rd of 865 public elementary schools	11.8%	17	22.7	17.7	10.9	17.1	22.7	12.9	10.9	15.1	4.3	$26,523	$3,079	$23,444
Rosemont Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	16400 Alden Ave	Gaithersburg	20877	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(240) 740-7180	564	50	11.1	59.0%	42 (7.4%)	166 (29.4%)	272 (48.2%)	46 (8.2%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	34 (6.0%)	47.6	432^nd of 864 public elementary schools	50.0%		53.8	379^th of 865 public elementary schools	56.2%	53	42.4	33.0	31.4	35.3	48.9	45.5	42.3	45.5	21.0	$23,797	$2,637	$21,160
Flower Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	18425 Flower Hill Way	Gaithersburg	20879	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-5820	454	40	11.4	54.8%	34 (7.5%)	93 (20.5%)	264 (58.1%)	46 (10.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.7%)	35.6	521^st of 864 public elementary schools	39.7%		22.2	660^th of 865 public elementary schools	23.7%	139	32.9	26.3	16.9	25.7	48.7	45.3	33.8	43.0	9.9	$23,378	$2,361	$21,017
Strawberry Knoll Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	18820 Strawberry Knoll Rd	Gaithersburg	20879	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-5140	448	42	10.7	57.8%	54 (12.1%)	105 (23.4%)	219 (48.9%)	47 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (4.9%)	52.6	389^th of 864 public elementary schools	55.0%		48.5	417^th of 865 public elementary schools	51.8%	28	49.1	27.4	25.5	33.9	57.9	45.2	47.3	50.0	30.4	$26,558	$1,577	$24,981
Watkins Mill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	19001 Watkins Mill Rd	Montgomery Village	20886	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(240) 740-5280	734	65	11.2	60.1%	20 (2.7%)	100 (13.6%)	550 (74.9%)	45 (6.1%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.2%)	18.5	705^th of 864 public elementary schools	18.4%		15.8	744^th of 865 public elementary schools	14.0%	39	24.0	7.8	15.6	15.5	33.7	17.5	29.6	26.6	13.3	$22,893	$2,871	$20,022
Whetstone Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	19201 Thomas Farm Rd	Gaithersburg	20879	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(240) 740-1060	711	58	12.3	56.3%	42 (5.9%)	183 (25.7%)	406 (57.1%)	56 (7.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.1%)	30.7	572^nd of 864 public elementary schools	33.8%		28.5	568^th of 865 public elementary schools	34.3%	4	40.5	19.0	18.2	26.0	47.9	28.1	30.0	35.5	12.7	$21,437	$2,848	$18,589

Frequently Asked Questions about Gaithersburg Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Gaithersburg Elementary?

Students at Gaithersburg Elementary are 76% Hispanic, 16% African American, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% White.

What district is Gaithersburg Elementary in?

Montgomery County Public Schools

How many students attend Gaithersburg Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 603 students attended Gaithersburg Elementary.

Is Gaithersburg Elementary a good school?

Gaithersburg Elementary ranks in the bottom 9.0% of Maryland elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Gaithersburg Elementary attend?

Students who attend Gaithersburg Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Gaithersburg Middle
High : Gaithersburg High

Rate Gaithersburg Elementary!

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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.