Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary

Q: Is Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary a good school?

Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary ranks 401 st of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary is a public elementary school in Mechanicsville, Maryland, serving 499 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the St. Mary's County Public Schools district, which is ranked 8th out of 25 districts in Maryland and has a 4-star rating.

Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary has a significantly higher percentage of white students (82.36%) compared to the surrounding schools, which have more diverse student populations. The school generally performs better than the state average in Mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) assessments, but lags behind the St. Mary's County Public Schools district average. Additionally, the school has a relatively high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 34.87% receiving free or reduced-price lunch, which is higher than the surrounding schools in the district but lower than some schools in the Charles County Public Schools district.

Interestingly, while Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary has a predominantly white student population, the school's performance data suggests that white students are not performing as well as their peers in the district. The school's proximity to higher-performing schools, such as White Marsh Elementary and Dynard Elementary, which are both ranked higher and have better test scores, suggests that Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary may have the potential to improve its performance by learning from the practices and strategies of these neighboring schools.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

37840 New Market Turner Rd
Mechanicsville, MD 20659-3049

(301) 472-4500

District: St. Mary's County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
401^st of 859 Maryland Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,384

Students who attend Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Margaret Brent Middle
High:	Chopticon High

Student/teacher ratio: 15.8

Number of students: 499

Racial breakdown:

White:

82.4%

African American:

6.6%

Two or more races:

5.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 34.9%

See top rated Maryland elementary schools

Compare Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary ranks better than 53.3% of elementary schools in Maryland. It also ranks 14^th among 19 ranked elementary schools in the St. Mary's County Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.78. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (82.4%), African American (6.6%), two or more races (5.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 34.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary is 15.8. 11 elementary schools in the St. Mary's County Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary employs 31.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary is $16,384. 13 elementary schools in the St. Mary's County Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

St. Mary's County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks St. Mary's County Public Schools 8^th of 25 Maryland school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile
2004	48.19	475^th	803	40.8%
2005	52.66	424^th	805	47.3%
2006	36.49	569^th	804	29.2%
2007	46.49	487^th	818	40.5%
2008	77.91	167^th	838	80.1%
2009	76.38	188^th	850	77.9%
2010	77.35	160^th	855	81.3%
2011	74.13	190^th	853	77.7%
2012	77.01	159^th	857	81.4%
2013	69.16	257^th	847	69.7%
2014	78.31	169^th	867	80.5%
2015	70.93	242^nd	859	71.8%
2016	63.49	291^st	845	65.6%
2017	66.55	275^th	847	67.5%
2018	78.23	184^th	857	78.5%
2019	73.61	226^th	853	73.5%
2021	43.66	333^rd	802	58.5%
2022	71.20	253^rd	862	70.6%
2023	56.20	329^th	855	61.5%
2024	46.78	401^st	859	53.3%

See the entire list of Maryland Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	36.00	358^th	546	34.4%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	39.96	378^th	796	52.5%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	44.46	326^th	788	58.6%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	24.62	388^th	528	26.5%

See the entire list of Best Maryland Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Maryland State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Maryland State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1989	357	10	2	0	4	n/a	n/a	373
1990	377	9	3	0	6	n/a	n/a	395
1991	375	13	0	0	4	n/a	n/a	392
1992	373	16	0	0	6	n/a	n/a	395
1993	456	30	1	0	4	n/a	n/a	491
1994	466	17	7	0	4	n/a	n/a	494
1995	502	23	3	1	5	n/a	n/a	534
1996	502	23	3	1	5	n/a	n/a	534
1997	496	20	4	3	4	n/a	n/a	527
1998	507	21	3	2	3	n/a	n/a	536
1999	510	19	5	5	1	n/a	n/a	540
2000	531	19	3	10	1	n/a	n/a	564
2001	550	29	2	9	2	n/a	n/a	592
2002	558	32	2	10	4	n/a	n/a	606
2003	558	32	2	10	4	n/a	n/a	606
2004	507	29	1	7	5	n/a	n/a	549
2005	485	24	3	5	5	n/a	n/a	522
2006	520	29	1	8	4	n/a	n/a	562
2007	543	35	6	10	3	n/a	n/a	597
2008	537	34	7	15	4	n/a	n/a	597
2009	540	34	5	13	4	n/a	n/a	596
2010	464	90	23	34	4	n/a	n/a	615
2011	562	35	2	10	2	2	1	614
2012	564	29	1	16	5	2	14	631
2013	564	28	0	15	4	2	20	633
2014	574	20	0	21	4	2	23	644
2015	580	19	2	19	3	2	23	648
2016	559	23	6	17	2	2	29	638
2017	542	22	4	15	3	1	28	615
2018	541	21	6	16	2	1	24	611
2019	520	26	5	15	2	0	27	595
2020	511	21	9	14	1	0	27	583
2021	468	22	5	19	2	0	25	541
2022	446	31	7	15	1	0	27	527
2023	411	33	5	20	2	0	28	499

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	373	18.0	20.7	n/a
1990	395	17.0	23.2	5.1
1991	392	20.7	18.9	5.4
1992	395	22.3	17.7	5.8
1993	491	26.3	18.7	4.7
1994	494	26.5	18.6	11.9
1995	534	28.2	18.9	8.1
1996	534	28.2	18.9	8.1
1997	527	29.4	17.9	7.6
1998	536	29.5	18.2	7.1
1999	540	29.5	18.3	9.1
2000	564	30.3	18.6	11.3
2001	592	32.7	18.1	9.1
2002	606	33.0	18.4	10.1
2003	606	33.0	18.4	10.1
2004	549	32.4	16.9	12.4
2005	522	30.0	17.4	8
2006	562	33.0	17.0	12.3
2007	597	33.2	18.0	12.9
2008	597	33.2	18.0	15.4
2009	596	33.5	17.8	16.8
2010	615	34.7	17.7	18
2011	614	34.8	17.6	24.4
2012	631	30.8	20.4	23.1
2013	633	32.8	19.2	24.5
2014	644	32.5	19.8	23.8
2015	648	32.0	20.2	21.9
2016	638	34.0	18.7	22.1
2017	615	33.5	18.3	22.4
2018	611	31.5	19.3	22.4
2019	595	32.1	18.5	24.7
2020	583	32.0	18.2	24.9
2021	541	32.4	16.6	25.3
2022	527	31.4	16.7	20.3
2023	499	31.4	15.8	34.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	373	18.0	20.7	n/a
1990	395	17.0	23.2	5.1
1991	392	20.7	18.9	5.4
1992	395	22.3	17.7	5.8
1993	491	26.3	18.7	4.7
1994	494	26.5	18.6	11.9
1995	534	28.2	18.9	8.1
1996	534	28.2	18.9	8.1
1997	527	29.4	17.9	7.6
1998	536	29.5	18.2	7.1
1999	540	29.5	18.3	9.1
2000	564	30.3	18.6	11.3
2001	592	32.7	18.1	9.1
2002	606	33.0	18.4	10.1
2003	606	33.0	18.4	10.1
2004	549	32.4	16.9	12.4
2005	522	30.0	17.4	8
2006	562	33.0	17.0	12.3
2007	597	33.2	18.0	12.9
2008	597	33.2	18.0	15.4
2009	596	33.5	17.8	16.8
2010	615	34.7	17.7	18
2011	614	34.8	17.6	24.4
2012	631	30.8	20.4	23.1
2013	633	32.8	19.2	24.5
2014	644	32.5	19.8	23.8
2015	648	32.0	20.2	21.9
2016	638	34.0	18.7	22.1
2017	615	33.5	18.3	22.4
2018	611	31.5	19.3	22.4
2019	595	32.1	18.5	24.7
2020	583	32.0	18.2	24.9
2021	541	32.4	16.6	25.3
2022	527	31.4	16.7	20.3
2023	499	31.4	15.8	34.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$328 (2.7%)	$11,956 (97.3%)	$12,283
2020	$749 (6.0%)	$11,678 (94.0%)	$12,428
2021	$1,007 (8.0%)	$11,606 (92.0%)	$12,613
2022	$1,420 (9.7%)	$13,153 (90.3%)	$14,573
2023	$1,368 (8.3%)	$15,016 (91.7%)	$16,384

Data source: Maryland Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 226^th of 853 Elementary schools	Ranks 329^th of 855 Elementary schools	12%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	595	499	16.1%
African American	26	33	26.9%
American Indian	2	2
Asian	5	5
Hispanic	15	20	33.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	520	411	21%
Two or More Races	27	28	3.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	24.7%	34.9%	10.2%

Schools Near Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MCAP Mathematics (2024)				MCAP English Language Arts (2024)				MCAP Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	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
Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	37840 New Market Turner Rd	Mechanicsville	20659	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 472-4500	499	31	15.8	34.9%	411 (82.4%)	33 (6.6%)	20 (4.0%)	5 (1.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.6%)	46.8	401^st of 859 public elementary schools	53.3%		56.2	329^th of 855 public elementary schools	61.5%	72	38.8	25.9	26.4	30.5	50.0	48.1	37.5	45.5	25.0	$16,384	$1,368	$15,016
White Marsh Elementary	Public	K-5	29090 Thompson Corner Rd	Mechanicsville	20659	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 472-4600	220	15	14.3	33.2%	171 (77.7%)	19 (8.6%)	14 (6.4%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.5%)	84.2	131^st of 859 public elementary schools	84.7%		90.5	76^th of 855 public elementary schools	91.1%	55	66.7	58.3	45.9	57.9	63.8	71.4	60.5	65.0	39.5	$19,368	$1,467	$17,901
Mechanicsville Elementary	Public	K-5	28585 Three Notch Rd	Mechanicsville	20659	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 472-4800	300	18	16.5	37.0%	241 (80.3%)	16 (5.3%)	16 (5.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	25 (8.3%)	54.1	338^th of 859 public elementary schools	60.7%		53.8	343^rd of 855 public elementary schools	59.9%	5	46.0	36.4	28.8	37.7	38.1	68.2	40.4	47.2	26.4	$16,547	$1,443	$15,104
T. C. Martin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6315 Olivers Shop Rd	Bryantown	20617	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 274-3182	553	32	17.4	38.7%	252 (45.6%)	179 (32.4%)	55 (9.9%)	8 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (10.5%)	48	392^nd of 859 public elementary schools	54.4%		44.2	421^st of 855 public elementary schools	50.8%	29	38.0	21.4	28.0	28.3	48.5	53.1	41.5	47.4	26.6	$15,716	$917	$14,798
Oakville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	26410 Three Notch Road	Mechanicsville	20659	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 373-4365	258	18	14.3	44.6%	189 (73.3%)	35 (13.6%)	8 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (9.7%)	66.4	267^th of 859 public elementary schools	68.9%		80.7	158^th of 855 public elementary schools	81.5%	109	42.0	46.7	53.4	47.7	44.0	57.8	51.7	51.0	29.8	$19,572	$1,556	$18,016
Barstow Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	295 Williams Rd	Prince Frederick	20678	Calvert County	Calvert County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(443) 550-9510	687	37	18.3	37.7%	397 (57.8%)	129 (18.8%)	67 (9.8%)	9 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.4%)	82 (11.9%)	62.9	289^th of 859 public elementary schools	66.4%		52.2	355^th of 855 public elementary schools	58.5%	66	57.4	43.4	25.5	42.0	74.5	63.3	35.8	57.8	22.9	$14,527	$1,082	$13,446
Malcolm Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	14760 Poplar Hill Rd	Waldorf	20601	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 645-2691	412	28	14.7	47.1%	93 (22.6%)	181 (43.9%)	66 (16.0%)	4 (1.0%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.7%)	63 (15.3%)	35.6	484^th of 859 public elementary schools	43.7%		38.2	474^th of 855 public elementary schools	44.6%	10	19.0	28.6	25.3	24.5	30.5	52.4	32.9	38.3	19.0	$18,128	$647	$17,480
Mary B. Neal Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12105 St. George's Dr	Waldorf	20602	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 638-2617	627	46	13.6	44.7%	33 (5.3%)	472 (75.3%)	49 (7.8%)	25 (4.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	46 (7.3%)	37	472^nd of 859 public elementary schools	45.1%		44.6	415^th of 855 public elementary schools	51.5%	57	42.4	23.5	15.4	27.0	50.0	38.1	29.7	39.3	17.6	$18,423	$567	$17,856
Eva Turner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 Bannister Cir	Waldorf	20602	Charles County	Charles County Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(301) 645-4828	463	33	13.8	68.7%	22 (4.8%)	352 (76.0%)	68 (14.7%)	4 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.2%)	11	807^th of 859 public elementary schools	6.1%		15.6	726^th of 855 public elementary schools	15.1%	81		17.1		8.3	11.1	21.7	9.5	14.2	6.5	$20,143	$1,828	$18,314
Dynard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	23510 Bushwood Rd	Chaptico	20621	St. Mary's County	St. Mary's County Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(301) 769-4804	395	25	15.8	42.0%	300 (75.9%)	41 (10.4%)	17 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (9.4%)	60.8	302^nd of 859 public elementary schools	64.8%		70.9	227^th of 855 public elementary schools	73.5%	75	50.0	35.4	31.3	38.9	51.4	58.5	52.4	54.4	25.0	$17,440	$1,420	$16,019

Frequently Asked Questions about Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary

What district is Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary in?

St. Mary's County Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary attend?

Students who attend Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Margaret Brent Middle
High : Chopticon High

Is Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary a good school?

Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary ranks 401^st of 859 Maryland elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 499 students attended Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary?

Students at Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary are 82% White, 7% African American, 6% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

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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.