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Watkins Mill Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

744^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 865 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 14% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Watkins Mill Elementary is a public elementary school in Montgomery Village, Maryland, serving 716 students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade. It is part of the Montgomery County Public Schools district, which is ranked 8th out of 25 districts in Maryland and rated 4 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Despite the district's overall strong performance, Watkins Mill Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of Maryland elementary schools, maintaining a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past 5 years. The school significantly underperforms the district and state averages in both mathematics and English language arts proficiency across all grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 14.2% of Watkins Mill students were proficient or better in mathematics, compared to 35.7% for the district and 26.5% for the state. The school's performance is particularly concerning for certain student subgroups, such as special education students and Hispanic students.

When compared to nearby schools within the same district, Watkins Mill Elementary consistently underperforms its peers. For instance, in the 2024-2025 school year, Watkins Mill's mathematics proficiency rate of 14.2% is significantly lower than the 30.9% at Strawberry Knoll Elementary and the 45% at Fox Chapel Elementary, both of which are within a 2-mile radius. Despite relatively high per-student spending and a favorable student-teacher ratio, the school has been unable to improve its performance, suggesting the need for a comprehensive review of its educational strategies and support systems.

734

Students ?

11.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$22,893

Per pupil spending ?

60.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

19001 Watkins Mill Rd
Montgomery Village, MD 20886

(240) 740-5280

District: Montgomery County Public Schools

Students who attend Watkins Mill Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Montgomery Village Middle
High:	Watkins Mill High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

74.9%

African American:

13.6%

Asian:

6.1%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Watkins Mill Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 19th percentile in 2015 → 14th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (17% vs 38% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (14th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school17%

District avg46%

Maryland avg38%

744^th of 865

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 14%▼ down 5 pts since 2015

From bottom 19% (2015) to bottom 14% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

127^th 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	15.8	744 of 865	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.2	763 of 859	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.8	735 of 855	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.3	735 of 862	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.6	581 of 802	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.3	586 of 853	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	21.7	653 of 857	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	20.2	666 of 847	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	22.5	647 of 845	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	20.2	692 of 859	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	21.0	734 of 867	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	12.1	787 of 847	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	14.8	771 of 857	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	15.0	762 of 853	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	14.6	800 of 855	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	21.4	749 of 850	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	23.3	716 of 838	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	63.1	337 of 818	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	60.6	349 of 804	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2005	38.6	550 of 805	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2004	30.7	609 of 803	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	52.2	158 of 504	68.7%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	40.4	56 of 115	51.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	26.6	535 of 796	32.8%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	27.8	267 of 347	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	55.8	145 of 546	73.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	20.7	605 of 788	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	22.7	127 of 136	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)73rd percentile+46 vs school

African American (2021)69th percentile+41 vs school

English Language Learner (2021)51st percentile+24 vs school

Female (2021)33rd percentile+5 vs school

Male (2021)23rd percentile-4 vs school

Hispanic (2021)23rd percentile-5 vs school

Special Education (2021)7th percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts24%-26 vs state

Mathematics14%-12 vs state

Science4%-22 vs state

2.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★0

4★0

3★1

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Watkins Mill offers wonderful opportunities for students and their families. There are great activities that go on there- they have International Night, a Talent Show and monthly parent meetings. All of the students in the school receive free breakfast and lunch so there is a great deal of poverty. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, August 21, 2012

This school is exceeds my lowest expectations. Teachers have trouble managing behavior of kindergarten and first grade kids. There is a socioecOnomic agenda that attempts to achieve equality in part by denying special Educational Services to students with any socioeconomic advantages. The individual Child is lost in this. The principal structures the school rules according to her will even when they directly contradict mcps rules. For example parents were not permitted in classrooms even though mcps mandates parent entry at will.
That may have changed after complaints but the willful self coronation of the principal as the monarch of the school that underlies it is still there. The principal has an explosive temper and occasionally walks around the school barefoot. Principal discourages parental involvement. There are gangs in fifth grade in this school. Many kids who attend Watkins mill need disciplinary structure and an environment that fosters excellence but this school Fails to achieve this as effectively as other mcps elementary schools with similar socioeconomic profiles. The ranking of this school in the bottom 10% of all Maryland public elementary schools is justified and tragic given mcps resources. The principal and senior administration need to be replaced to bring to this school a culture of academic excellence and bring out the potential of the young children who attend this school. Close Quote

Schools Near Watkins Mill 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
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%)	15.8	744^th of 865 public elementary schools	14.0%		13.2	763^rd of 859 public elementary schools	11.2%	19	18.0	12.5	11.3	14.2	20.5	26.9	26.0	24.3	4.0	$22,893	$2,871	$20,022
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%)	26.1	597^th of 865 public elementary schools	31.0%		25.4	581^st of 859 public elementary schools	32.4%	16	24.2	16.9	18.8	19.8	36.9	23.2	36.1	32.3	11.0	$23,627	$2,445	$21,182
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%)	28.5	568^th of 865 public elementary schools	34.3%		28.8	548^th of 859 public elementary schools	36.2%	20	26.2	22.4	17.6	22.2	39.0	31.9	33.0	34.6	11.8	$21,437	$2,848	$18,589
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%)	15.3	750^th of 865 public elementary schools	13.3%		15.6	715^th of 859 public elementary schools	16.8%	35	16.1	21.5	9.6	15.4	21.3	24.5	17.5	21.0	4.1	$21,305	$2,781	$18,524
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%)	48.5	417^th of 865 public elementary schools	51.8%		46.3	408^th of 859 public elementary schools	52.5%	9	33.3	35.7	24.2	30.9	55.9	42.6	43.1	47.6	22.7	$26,558	$1,577	$24,981
Fox Chapel Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	19315 Archdale Rd	Germantown	20876	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	Yes	No	No	(240) 740-0680	617	46	13.5	61.1%	69 (11.2%)	150 (24.3%)	288 (46.7%)	85 (13.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (3.6%)	68	272^nd of 865 public elementary schools	68.6%		74.4	202^nd of 859 public elementary schools	76.5%	70	39.8	48.2	45.9	45.0	39.5	63.1	51.0	52.0	35.9	$19,834	$966	$18,868
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%)	13.2	791^st of 865 public elementary schools	8.6%		11.8	791^st of 859 public elementary schools	7.9%		13.8	13.1	15.1	13.9	19.8	15.5	15.5	17.1	5.9	$25,304	$2,866	$22,438
Captain James E. Daly Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	20301 Brandermill Dr	Germantown	20876	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(240) 740-0600	472	42	11.2	57.6%	26 (5.5%)	132 (28.0%)	272 (57.6%)	25 (5.3%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.0%)	28.1	573^rd of 865 public elementary schools	33.8%		25	585^th of 859 public elementary schools	31.9%	12	18.9	12.9	15.4	15.7	33.8	40.3	38.2	37.4	15.4	$23,824	$3,901	$19,922
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%)	23.8	632^nd of 865 public elementary schools	26.9%		19.2	664^th of 859 public elementary schools	22.7%	32	25.0	23.0	16.5	21.8	27.6	31.3	25.7	28.2	11.4	$21,951	$2,144	$19,806
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%)	22.2	660^th of 865 public elementary schools	23.7%		25.9	576^th of 859 public elementary schools	32.9%	84	24.7	15.3	13.4	18.6	34.7	28.2	31.3	31.8	4.6	$23,378	$2,361	$21,017

Frequently Asked Questions about Watkins Mill Elementary

What district is Watkins Mill Elementary in?

Montgomery County Public Schools

How many students attend Watkins Mill Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 734 students attended Watkins Mill Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Watkins Mill Elementary attend?

Students who attend Watkins Mill Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Montgomery Village Middle
High : Watkins Mill High

What is the racial makeup of Watkins Mill Elementary?

Students at Watkins Mill Elementary are 75% Hispanic, 14% African American, 6% Asian, 3% White, 2% Two or more races.

Is Watkins Mill Elementary a good school?

Watkins Mill Elementary ranks in the bottom 14.0% of Maryland elementary schools.

Rate Watkins Mill Elementary!

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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.