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Waters Landing Elementary

Q: Is Waters Landing Elementary a good school?

Waters Landing Elementary ranks 531 st of 865 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

531^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 865 Maryland Elementary Schools

Better than 39% of Maryland elementary schools

Summary

Waters Landing Elementary is a public elementary school in Germantown, Maryland, serving 717 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Montgomery County Public Schools district, which is ranked 8th out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Waters Landing Elementary has a relatively high per-student spending, ranging from $16,155 to $21,147 over the past few years, the school's academic performance, as measured by MCAP test scores, is generally lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates in Mathematics and English Language Arts were 24.4% and 36%, respectively, compared to the district's 35.7% and 57%, and the state's 26.5% and 50.8%. The school also faces challenges with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 23.2% to 33.1% over the past few years, significantly higher than the district and state averages.

When compared to nearby elementary schools, such as Dr. Ronald E. McNair Elementary and William B. Gibbs Junior Elementary, Waters Landing Elementary generally performs worse on academic measures, with these nearby schools having significantly higher proficiency rates in Mathematics and English Language Arts, as well as higher overall state rankings. The school's performance also varies significantly across different student subgroups, with its English Language Learner (ELL) students ranking in the bottom 10% of Maryland elementary schools.

735

Students ?

12.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,147

Per pupil spending ?

56.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

13100 Waters Landing Dr
Germantown, MD 20874-3800

(240) 740-1020

District: Montgomery County Public Schools

Students who attend Waters Landing Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Martin Luther King Junior Middle
High:	Seneca Valley High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

39.7%

African American:

36.3%

White:

12.0%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Waters Landing Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 44th percentile in 2015 → 39th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maryland average (29% vs 38% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school29%

District avg46%

Maryland avg38%

531^st of 865

Maryland public elementary schools ?

Bottom 39%▼ down 5 pts since 2015

From bottom 44% (2015) to bottom 39% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maryland Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

107^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	33.0	531 of 865	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.4	542 of 859	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.6	482 of 855	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.4	495 of 862	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.8	473 of 802	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.1	403 of 853	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.4	431 of 857	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	53.6	360 of 847	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	49.9	397 of 845	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	40.1	483 of 859	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	50.4	511 of 867	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	31.1	641 of 847	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	32.1	645 of 857	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	21.1	723 of 853	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	35.2	630 of 855	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	40.8	578 of 850	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2008	50.6	481 of 838	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	51.5	449 of 818	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	57.0	380 of 804	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2005	42.2	512 of 805	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2004	34.4	586 of 803	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	40.4	276 of 504	45.2%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	25.2	103 of 115	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	31.5	477 of 796	40.1%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	32.0	228 of 347	34.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	35.3	368 of 546	32.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	31.8	457 of 788	42.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maryland percentile	Rating
2021	50.2	233 of 528	55.9%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2021)56th percentile+15 vs school

African American (2021)45th percentile+4 vs school

Male (2021)42nd percentile~ school

Female (2021)40th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2021)34th percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2021)33rd percentile-8 vs school

English Language Learner (2021)10th percentile-31 vs school

By subject vs Maryland (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts36%-15 vs state

Mathematics24%~ state avg

Science19%-7 vs state

4.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, August 18, 2014

WLES is located in an area of Germantown with increasing poverty. According to longtime staff the discipline problems that go with "inner-city" underparented and undersocialized students are gradually increasing. That said, the principal is very attentive, and there are several outstanding teachers on staff. Some are not so much, so it really depends on who your kid is assigned to. Close Quote

Schools Near Waters Landing 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
Waters Landing Elementary	Public	K-5	13100 Waters Landing Dr	Germantown	20874	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-1020	735	59	12.4	56.3%	88 (12.0%)	267 (36.3%)	292 (39.7%)	57 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	30 (4.1%)	33	531^st of 865 public elementary schools	38.6%		29.4	542^nd of 859 public elementary schools	36.9%	11	29.7	23.5	19.6	24.4	39.3	33.3	35.2	36.0	18.6	$21,147	$1,087	$20,059
Lake Seneca Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	13600 Wanegarden Dr	Germantown	20874	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(240) 740-0280	437	42	10.3	61.3%	22 (5.0%)	175 (40.0%)	184 (42.1%)	26 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.9%)	19.3	694^th of 865 public elementary schools	19.8%		29.4	543^rd of 859 public elementary schools	36.8%	151	28.2	14.5	10.9	19.2	27.9	22.6	22.7	24.8	8.9	$24,307	$2,480	$21,826
William B. Gibbs Junior Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12615 Royal Crown Drive	Germantown	20876	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-0740	601	41	14.7	40.1%	101 (16.8%)	168 (28.0%)	133 (22.1%)	161 (26.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.3%)	78.6	195^th of 865 public elementary schools	77.5%		76.7	192^nd of 859 public elementary schools	77.6%	3	61.5	70.1	52.1	61.4	60.0	73.7	49.3	61.1	27.0	$20,977	$988	$19,988
Germantown Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	19110 Liberty Mill Rd	Germantown	20874	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-6490	314	32	9.7	52.2%	41 (13.1%)	112 (35.7%)	83 (26.4%)	62 (19.7%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.5%)	49.7	408^th of 865 public elementary schools	52.8%		67	261^st of 859 public elementary schools	69.6%	147	36.8	26.5	36.2	34.1	50.9	36.4	46.8	46.0	22.9	$27,789	$1,381	$26,409
S. Christa McAuliffe Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	12500 Wisteria Dr	Germantown	20874	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-4920	467	41	11.3	55.0%	38 (8.1%)	171 (36.6%)	193 (41.3%)	37 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.0%)	33.1	529^th of 865 public elementary schools	38.8%		25.1	584^th of 859 public elementary schools	32.0%	55	30.9	32.9	16.7	27.0	41.8	39.4	31.4	37.7	6.8	$21,888	$960	$20,928
Dr. Ronald E. McNair Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	13881 Hopkins Rd	Germantown	20874	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-6830	673	42	15.9	33.6%	122 (18.1%)	172 (25.6%)	134 (19.9%)	190 (28.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	53 (7.9%)	76.3	213^th of 865 public elementary schools	75.4%		81.7	149^th of 859 public elementary schools	82.7%	64	53.2	53.2	51.7	52.7	59.3	49.5	66.7	58.6	36.2	$17,471	$845	$16,625
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
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
Clopper Mill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	18501 Cinnamon Dr	Germantown	20874	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(240) 740-2180	458	39	11.8	60.9%	32 (7.0%)	140 (30.6%)	233 (50.9%)	37 (8.1%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.1%)	23.2	638^th of 865 public elementary schools	26.2%		32.8	510^th of 859 public elementary schools	40.6%	128	20.3	15.9	10.2	15.7	29.4	34.2	36.8	33.3	10.2	$24,605	$2,912	$21,693
Dr. Sally K. Ride Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	21301 Seneca Crossing Dr	Germantown	20876	Montgomery County	Montgomery County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(240) 740-5980	428	42	10.1	62.4%	44 (10.3%)	147 (34.3%)	162 (37.9%)	46 (10.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (6.3%)	33.5	524^th of 865 public elementary schools	39.4%		32	516^th of 859 public elementary schools	39.9%	8	32.8	27.5	29.8	29.9	31.7	41.8	24.6	33.2	10.3	$26,203	$1,783	$24,420

Frequently Asked Questions about Waters Landing Elementary

What district is Waters Landing Elementary in?

Montgomery County Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Waters Landing Elementary attend?

Students who attend Waters Landing Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Martin Luther King Junior Middle
High : Seneca Valley High

Is Waters Landing Elementary a good school?

Waters Landing Elementary ranks 531^st of 865 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Waters Landing Elementary?

Students at Waters Landing Elementary are 40% Hispanic, 36% African American, 12% White, 8% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

How many students attend Waters Landing Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 735 students attended Waters Landing 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.