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Elementary★★★☆☆

Damascus Elementary

Damascus cluster · 10201 Bethesda Church Rd, 20872

School website ↗·Damascus ES PTA ↗

48.5%MCAP ELA
41.4%MCAP Math
338Students

Academics

MCAP proficiency over time.

% proficient by subject
Data table
% proficient by subject
Series2019202120222023202420252026
ELA40.9%24.2%53.9%58.1%50%51.6%48.5%
Math41.4%21.8%36.5%46.4%43.5%40.5%41.4%
Science26.3%32.1%20.8%31.8%20%21.8%26%

Testing paused in 2020. 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.

Average class size by school year
Data table
Average class size by school year — average class size by school year (* = not comparable)
Series2017-20182018-20192019-20202020-20212021-20222022-20232023-20242024-2025
Kindergarten26.0 *26.5 *17.7 *11.6 *14.3 *11.2 *13.317.7
Grades 1 to 323.3 *23.6 *21.3 *12.7 *12.3 *11.7 *22.916.2
Grades 4 to 525.5 *24.3 *22.6 *14.0 *12.1 *14.5 *24.521.2
  • Kindergarten17.7target 25 · within guideline
  • Grades 1 to 316.2target 26–27 · within guideline
  • Grades 4 to 521.2target 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.

White60.7%
Non-econ. disadvantaged55.9%
Students w/o disabilities54.5%
ADA / 50453.8%
Female48.8%
Male48.2%
Hispanic44.0%
FARMS38.0%
Econ. disadvantaged36.4%
Black27.3%
Multilingual (EL)18.2%
Students w/ disabilities12.5%

7 groups not shown — too few students to report (withheld for privacy, not zero).

Special education

ELA48.5% all · 12.5% SWD
Math41.4% all · 12.5% SWD
Sciencewithheld — too few students with disabilities to report
Students with IEPs
24.5%
8.9 vs. typical
of enrollment · 81 students
504 plans
≤5%
of enrollment · withheld for privacy
Caseload
9.9
5.1 vs. typical
students per special-ed teacher
Teachers per 100
9.88
3.2 vs. typical
teacher FTE per 100 with IEPs
Paras per 100
10.99
4.1 vs. typical
paraeducator FTE per 100 with IEPs
Inclusion (LRE)
58.1%
13.5 vs. typical
in general education 80%+ of the day
Inclusion (LRE) over time
Data table
Inclusion (LRE) over time
Series202320242025
Inclusion %58.8%55.6%57.8%

Time in general education (2025): 80%+ of the day 58.1% · 40–79% ≤5% · under 40% 41.9%

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.

Teachers
8.2
0.5 vs. typical
per 100 students
Support services
3.4
1.3 vs. typical
per 100 students
Counselors
3
0.3 vs. typical
per 1,000 students

Special education & multilingual support

Special-ed teachers
9.9
3.2 vs. typical
per 100 students with disabilities
Special-ed paraeducators
11
4.1 vs. typical
per 100 students with disabilities
ELD teachers
2.3
0.1 vs. typical
per 100 multilingual learners

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.

Student Support

  • JSSA

Special Education

  • Adapted Physical Education
  • Home School Model - Elementary
  • Learning for Independence (LFI)
  • School Community Based (SCB)
  • Speech/Language Resource K-12

Source: MCPS Office of Student Affairs program catalog (2025). Find schools by program →

Students

Total enrollment over time
Data table
Total enrollment over time
Series202120222023202420252026
Enrollment354361366346331338

By race / ethnicity (2026).

Hispanic40.1%
White35.6%
Black12.8%
Asian6.8%
Two or more4.7%

Climate

Attendance and chronic absenteeism (absent 10%+ of days).

Attendance & chronic absenteeism
Data table
Attendance & chronic absenteeism
Series201920212022202320242025
Attendance94.7%≥ 95.092.1%90.1%91.5%92%
Chronic absenteeism15.7%15.3%33.4%40%32.4%26.1%

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.

Capacity risk, 2030–31
Severe
94% chance over capacity
Forecast enrollment, 2030–31
338
likely range 278–405
Capacity
269
plus 6 relocatable classrooms today
Forecast confidence
Low
likely over capacity from 2026–27
actual forecast median 80% range MCPS projection capacity
Data table
School yearActualForecast (p10–p90)MCPS projection
2017–18331——
2018–19341——
2019–20362——
2020–21354——
2021–22361——
2022–23366——
2023–24345——
2024–25331——
2025–26338——
2026–27—342 (317–368)340
2027–28—336 (298–373)336
2028–29—332 (287–381)332
2029–30—330 (276–390)336
2030–31—338 (278–405)325
2031–32—326 (269–389)—
2032–33—322 (267–385)—
2033–34—322 (266–387)—
2034–35—323 (267–384)—
2035–36—321 (266–383)—

⚠ Census counts of young children in this area run below what the forecast assumes — the risk here may be overstated.

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.