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South Lake Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

758^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 865 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 12% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

South Lake Elementary in Gaithersburg, MD, serves 746 students in grades PK-5 and is part of the Montgomery County Public Schools district, but it faces significant challenges that set it apart from nearby schools.

The most pressing issue at South Lake is its extremely high chronic absenteeism rate of 35.3% (2024-2025), which is the highest among comparable nearby schools and well above the district average of 22.6%. This directly impacts academic performance, with proficiency rates roughly half the district average: just 14.7% in math, 22% in English Language Arts, and 8.1% in science. While the school spends $21,305 per student, this is actually less than several nearby schools that outperform it, such as Washington Grove Elementary ($25,160) and Strawberry Knoll Elementary ($26,558). A telling comparison is with Strawberry Knoll, located just one mile away, which serves a similar percentage of students from low-income backgrounds (58% vs. 66%) but achieves more than double the proficiency rates in math (33.9%) and ELA (50%), demonstrating that demographic challenges do not determine outcomes.

Despite the overall struggles, there is a notable bright spot: South Lake has shown relative strength with its African American students, ranking in the 55th percentile for this subgroup in the 2020-2021 school year. This suggests that certain instructional strategies may be working well for some students and could serve as a model for broader improvement. However, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of Maryland elementary schools for the past decade, and its state ranking has dropped from the 32nd percentile in 2019 to the 12th percentile in 2026. The path forward requires a focused, data-driven strategy to tackle chronic absenteeism and boost student engagement, as the school's challenges are not due to a lack of funding but rather how resources are deployed to address these core issues.

746

Students ?

12.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,305

Per pupil spending ?

66.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

18201 Contour Road
Gaithersburg, MD 20877

(240) 740-7330

District: Montgomery County Public Schools

Students who attend South Lake Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Neelsville Middle
High:	Watkins Mill High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

74.7%

African American:

17.3%

Asian:

4.3%

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Compare South Lake Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 16th percentile in 2016 → 12th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (17% vs 39% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!English Language Arts scores 30 pts below the Maryland average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school17%

District avg48%

Maryland avg39%

758^th of 865

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 12%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From bottom 16% (2016) to bottom 12% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

8^th of 24Montgomery 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	14.7	758 of 865	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	15.3	750 of 865	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.6	715 of 859	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.1	665 of 855	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.5	706 of 862	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.3	668 of 802	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.4	584 of 853	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	24.0	625 of 857	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	23.9	626 of 847	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	17.1	708 of 845	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	14.6	769 of 859	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	14.8	769 of 867	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	8.9	804 of 847	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	32.3	644 of 857	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	37.2	595 of 853	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2010	13.5	805 of 855	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	31.5	646 of 850	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	27.7	687 of 838	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	71.5	228 of 818	72.1%	★★★★☆
2006	67.2	288 of 804	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2005	67.5	278 of 805	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2004	56.6	414 of 803	48.4%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	44.3	227 of 504	55.0%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	25.5	101 of 115	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	16.6	695 of 796	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	18.6	336 of 347	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	34.8	372 of 546	31.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	17.5	671 of 788	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	39.4	86 of 136	36.8%	★★☆☆☆

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)

African American (2021)55th percentile+38 vs school

Special Education (2021)37th percentile+20 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)32nd percentile+15 vs school

Male (2021)15th percentile~ school

Female (2021)13th percentile-4 vs school

English Language Learner (2021)12th percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2021)3rd percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts22%-30 vs state

Mathematics15%-12 vs state

Science8%-24 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, August 31, 2015

The school ratings would make one nervous about this school...it did for me. But I have nothing but positive feedback about the school, faculty and staff. I felt compelled to right a positive review to share my experience. People usually only write reviews when they are mad about something...lol. The principal and vice principal are passionate and dedicated to their school, students and faculty. I'm also impressed with the staff and faculty. They are very friendly, organized and dedicated to helping each student. I'm happy to have my child attend this school! Close Quote

Schools Near South Lake 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 (2025)	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
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	758^th of 865 public elementary schools	12.4%		15.3	750^th of 865 public elementary schools	13.3%	8	15.9	15.7	12.1	14.7	16.1	22.6	28.4	22.0	8.1	$21,305	$2,781	$18,524
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	787^th of 865 public elementary schools	9.0%		13.2	791^st of 865 public elementary schools	8.6%	4	19.5	8.9	11.5	13.1	15.9	17.6	22.9	19.0	9.3	$25,304	$2,866	$22,438
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 865 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
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	584^th of 865 public elementary schools	32.5%		23.8	632^nd of 865 public elementary schools	26.9%	48	30.2	23.5	16.9	23.9	38.8	36.7	30.3	35.5	18.0	$21,951	$2,144	$19,806
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	706^th of 865 public elementary schools	18.4%		15.8	744^th of 865 public elementary schools	14.0%	38	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	573^rd of 865 public elementary schools	33.8%		28.5	568^th of 865 public elementary schools	34.3%	5	40.5	19.0	18.2	26.0	47.9	28.1	30.0	35.5	12.7	$21,437	$2,848	$18,589
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 865 public elementary schools	39.8%		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
Stedwick Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10631 Stedwick Rd	Montgomery Village	20886	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-7190	492	42	11.7	59.6%	30 (6.1%)	153 (31.1%)	254 (51.6%)	32 (6.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (4.1%)	25.9	620^th of 865 public elementary schools	28.3%		26.1	597^th of 865 public elementary schools	31.0%	23	26.9	25.8	15.4	22.3	28.8	37.9	28.2	31.4	16.5	$23,627	$2,445	$21,182
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	545^th of 865 public elementary schools	37.0%		35.5	515^th of 865 public elementary schools	40.5%	30	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	781^st of 865 public elementary schools	9.7%		14.4	763^rd of 865 public elementary schools	11.8%	18	22.7	17.7	10.9	17.1	22.7	12.9	10.9	15.1	4.3	$26,523	$3,079	$23,444

Frequently Asked Questions about South Lake Elementary

Is South Lake Elementary a good school?

South Lake Elementary ranks in the bottom 12.4% of Maryland elementary schools.

What district is South Lake Elementary in?

Montgomery County Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of South Lake Elementary?

Students at South Lake Elementary are 75% Hispanic, 17% African American, 4% Asian, 2% Two or more races, 1% White.

How many students attend South Lake Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 746 students attended South Lake Elementary.

What schools do graduates of South Lake Elementary attend?

Students who attend South Lake Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Neelsville Middle
High : Watkins Mill High

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Latest Maryland data All new data »

2025–26 MCAP test scoresJul 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.