South Lake Elementary
Watkins Mill cluster · 18201 Contour Rd, 20877
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Academics
MCAP proficiency over time.
Data table
| Series | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELA | 26.5% | 11.5% | 22.3% | 25.4% | 21.9% | 21% | 22% |
| Math | 29.4% | 6.6% | 13.1% | 17.4% | 15.5% | 15.4% | 14.7% |
| Science | 13.6% | 20.3% | 11.2% | 17.5% | 8.2% | ≤5% | 8.1% |
Testing paused in 2020. A dashed line in a shaded band means the exact value is suppressed for privacy — it is ≤5%. Science scoring changed twice (2019 pre-MCAP scale; 2021 three bands, two pooled administrations; four bands from 2022), so science points before 2022 aren't comparable to later ones. Science swung sharply statewide between 2023 and 2026 (down, then back up, one grade at a time); those moves likely reflect the state assessment, not school-level change.
Class size
Average class size by grade band over recent years, with the latest year measured against MCPS's published guideline.
Data table
| Series | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 | 2024-2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 18.7 * | 19.0 * | 18.4 * | 18.6 * | 19.6 * | 16.9 * | 15.9 | 16.8 |
| Grades 1 to 3 | 17.0 * | 17.9 * | 18.2 * | 16.0 * | 16.0 * | 17.5 * | 19.0 | 17.3 |
| Grades 4 to 5 | 19.8 * | 19.0 * | 22.4 * | 16.7 * | 20.2 * | 23.4 * | 22.7 | 21.3 |
- Kindergarten16.8target 25 · within guideline
- Grades 1 to 317.3target 26–27 · within guideline
- Grades 4 to 521.3target 29 · within guideline
Source: MCPS School Profiles class-size extract vs. MCPS published class-size guidelines · Updated: 2024-2025
Proficiency by student group
This school's MCAP ELA proficiency by group (latest year). The spread is the opportunity gap.
8 groups not shown — too few students to report (withheld for privacy, not zero).
Special education
Data table
| Series | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inclusion % | — | — | — |
Time in general education (2025): 80%+ of the day ≥95% · 40–79% ≤5% · under 40% ≤5%
Staffing rates are per 100 students with IEPs; staffing is from 2025. Withheld values reflect privacy suppression, not zero.
Source: MCPS School Profiles / unified facts (LRE, staffing, SWD enrollment) · Updated: inclusion 2025, staffing 2025
Staffing
Staff relative to enrollment. The chip compares this school to the typical elementary school at this level.
Special education & multilingual support
Source: MCPS unified facts — staff FTE per student (support services = instructional support staff)
Programs & services
Special, choice, and support programs offered at this school — from magnet and application programs to career pathways and special-education services.
Academics
Student Support
Special Education
Source: MCPS Office of Student Affairs program catalog (2025). Find schools by program →
Students
Data table
| Series | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | 790 | 823 | 797 | 780 | 746 | 689 |
By race / ethnicity (2026).
Climate
Attendance and chronic absenteeism (absent 10%+ of days).
Data table
| Series | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance | 92.9% | 90.9% | 88.2% | 89.4% | 91.4% | 91.8% |
| Chronic absenteeism | 28.2% | 32.9% | 51.3% | 47.4% | 34% | 35.3% |
Enrollment & capacity outlook
A ten-year probabilistic enrollment forecast for this school, checked against its capacity. Part of the countywide capacity outlook, which explains the method and its track record.
Data table
| School year | Actual | Forecast (p10–p90) | MCPS projection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | 839 | — | — |
| 2018–19 | 831 | — | — |
| 2019–20 | 893 | — | — |
| 2020–21 | 790 | — | — |
| 2021–22 | 823 | — | — |
| 2022–23 | 797 | — | — |
| 2023–24 | 779 | — | — |
| 2024–25 | 746 | — | — |
| 2025–26 | 689 | — | — |
| 2026–27 | — | 692 (643–745) | 643 |
| 2027–28 | — | 684 (612–762) | 663 |
| 2028–29 | — | 690 (606–789) | 637 |
| 2029–30 | — | 696 (597–805) | 633 |
| 2030–31 | — | 715 (594–837) | 637 |
| 2031–32 | — | 741 (604–865) | — |
| 2032–33 | — | 751 (608–881) | — |
| 2033–34 | — | 759 (604–884) | — |
| 2034–35 | — | 761 (604–884) | — |
| 2035–36 | — | 760 (599–880) | — |
- Approved development near this school is expected to add roughly 101 students within five years (probability-weighted; approval does not guarantee construction).
Source: mc-development forecast model — base year SY 2025–26; boundaries 2024-2025; development snapshot 2026-06-02 · Updated: 2026-07-31T00:00:00Z
Data: MSDE State Report Card (2019–2026), MCPS official Sept 30, 2025 enrollment count (extends the enrollment trend to 2025-26), MCPS School Profiles & unified facts, U.S. Census ACS 2024, MD SDAT. “≥95” / “≤5” and dropped groups are privacy-suppressed for small counts — withheld, not zero. Independent project, not affiliated with MCPS or MSDE.