Montgomery County Public Schools operates 204 schools (grades PK–12). Individual school names, addresses, and attendance zone boundaries are available directly from the district.
| Metric | Montgomery County Public Schools | National Average | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student Enrollment | 160,000 | 3,700 | Much larger than avg |
| Number of Schools | 204 | 6 | Varies by district |
| Per-Pupil Spending | $17,000/yr | $13,700/yr | ≈ Near avg |
| District Type | Suburban | Public District | — |
| Overall Rating | 8/10 — Good | — | Above average |
- Ashburton Elementary — Grades K–5 · 871 students
- Farmland Elementary — Grades K–5 · 847 students
- Bayard Rustin Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 757 students
- JoAnn Leleck at Broad Acres Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 756 students
- Arcola Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 747 students
- Burnt Mills Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 747 students
- South Lake Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 746 students
- Waters Landing Elementary — Grades K–5 · 735 students
- Watkins Mill Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 734 students
- Garrett Park Elementary — Grades K–5 · 724 students
- Greencastle Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 722 students
- Whetstone Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 711 students
- Sargent Shriver Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 697 students
- Galway Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 695 students
- Weller Road Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 691 students
- Rock Creek Forest Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 690 students
- Luxmanor Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 684 students
- Glenallan Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 679 students
- Dr. Ronald E. McNair Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 673 students
- Rachel Carson Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 671 students
- Harmony Hills Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 655 students
- Diamond Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 654 students
- Flora M. Singer Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 653 students
- Bethesda Elementary — Grades K–5 · 645 students
- Rolling Terrace Elementary — Grades PK–5 · 645 students
- + 114 more elementary schools
- Julius West Middle — Grades 6–8 · 1,365 students
- Thomas W. Pyle Middle — Grades 6–8 · 1,259 students
- North Bethesda Middle — Grades 6–8 · 1,224 students
- Parkland Middle — Grades 6–8 · 1,185 students
- Takoma Park Middle — Grades 6–8 · 1,177 students
- Tilden Middle — Grades 6–8 · 1,112 students
- Earle B. Wood Middle — Grades 6–8 · 1,019 students
- Silver Spring International Middle — Grades 6–8 · 1,015 students
- Rocky Hill Middle — Grades 6–8 · 1,010 students
- Lakelands Park Middle — Grades 6–8 · 993 students
- Cabin John Middle — Grades 6–8 · 983 students
- A. Mario Loiederman Middle — Grades 6–8 · 978 students
- Eastern Middle — Grades 6–8 · 963 students
- Francis Scott Key Middle — Grades 6–8 · 950 students
- Hallie Wells Middle — Grades 6–8 · 931 students
- Herbert Hoover Middle — Grades 6–8 · 930 students
- Robert Frost Middle School — Grades 6–8 · 915 students
- Kingsview Middle — Grades 6–8 · 908 students
- Roberto W. Clemente Middle — Grades 6–8 · 888 students
- Gaithersburg Middle — Grades 6–8 · 869 students
- Argyle Middle — Grades 6–8 · 868 students
- Rosa M. Parks Middle — Grades 6–8 · 863 students
- Briggs Chaney Middle — Grades 6–8 · 858 students
- Martin Luther King Jr. Middle — Grades 6–8 · 841 students
- John T. Baker Middle School — Grades 6–8 · 841 students
- + 15 more middle schools
- Montgomery Blair High — Grades 9–12 · 3,266 students
- Walter Johnson High — Grades 9–12 · 3,016 students
- Wheaton High — Grades 9–12 · 2,794 students
- Gaithersburg High — Grades 9–12 · 2,441 students
- Seneca Valley High — Grades 9–12 · 2,409 students
- Bethesda-Chevy Chase High — Grades 9–12 · 2,377 students
- Richard Montgomery High — Grades 9–12 · 2,366 students
- Northwest High — Grades 9–12 · 2,300 students
- Clarksburg High — Grades 9–12 · 2,241 students
- Winston Churchill High — Grades 9–12 · 2,185 students
- Quince Orchard High — Grades 9–12 · 2,100 students
- Walt Whitman High — Grades 9–12 · 2,056 students
- Paint Branch High — Grades 9–12 · 2,038 students
- Albert Einstein High — Grades 9–12 · 1,991 students
- James Hubert Blake High — Grades 9–12 · 1,960 students
- John F. Kennedy High — Grades 9–12 · 1,880 students
- Thomas S. Wootton High — Grades 9–12 · 1,870 students
- Springbrook High — Grades 9–12 · 1,838 students
- Sherwood High — Grades 9–12 · 1,675 students
- Col. Zadok Magruder High — Grades 9–12 · 1,671 students
- Northwood High — Grades 9–12 · 1,654 students
- Watkins Mill High — Grades 9–12 · 1,577 students
- Rockville High — Grades 9–12 · 1,550 students
- Damascus High — Grades 9–12 · 1,390 students
- Poolesville High — Grades 9–12 · 1,351 students
- John L Gildner Regional Inst for Children & Adol — Grades 4–12 · 79 students
- Rock Terrace School — Grades 6–12 · 77 students
- Longview School — Grades K–12 · 59 students
- Stephen Knolls School — Grades PK–12 · 51 students
About Montgomery County Public Schools
ZIP 20854 in Potomac, Maryland in Montgomery County falls within the boundaries of Montgomery County Public Schools. Its 8/10 rating sits above the typical Maryland district on the funding and enrollment measures NCES reports. The district operates 204 schools and serves roughly 160,000 students (one of the larger districts in the state), covering Pre-K – 12th. Review the funding and enrollment data above, then contact the district to confirm which schools serve your exact address before you commit to a move.
Funding and Resources
Per-pupil spending at Montgomery County Public Schools runs approximately $17,000 annually, placing it near the Maryland state average of approximately $16,500 and above the national average nationally (U.S. average: $13,700/year). Above-average spending generally translates to more instructional resources per student, stronger program variety at the middle and high school levels, and better-maintained facilities. Per-pupil spending directly affects teacher compensation, class sizes, elective course offerings, technology access, and the depth of student support services — making it one of the most meaningful structural indicators of district capacity.
District Scale and Program Breadth
Montgomery County Public Schools is a major metropolitan district with 204 schools serving students from Pre-K – 12th. The district enrolls approximately 160,000 students in total. Major metropolitan districts operate dozens to hundreds of schools across wide geographic areas. They often include magnet schools, gifted programs, dual-language academies, and career and technical education pathways not available in smaller systems. Within-district quality variation is significant: a school two miles from your address might be rated very differently from your assigned school.
Understanding the 8/10 Rating
SchoolDistrictFinder rates Montgomery County Public Schools 8 out of 10 — above average among Maryland public school districts. Our ratings are built from NCES Common Core of Data and measure structural factors: per-pupil expenditure, student-teacher ratio, enrollment stability, and school count. They do not incorporate test scores or graduation rates, which are not consistently available across all 13,500+ US districts in the NCES dataset.
Montgomery County Public Schools earns an above-average rating, reflecting stronger-than-typical resource levels and stable enrollment trends for Maryland. Above-average districts generally offer solid program variety, adequate staffing, and a track record of organizational stability. Families considering this area will find a district with meaningful strengths. Research the specific schools assigned to your address — even above-average districts have variation between individual buildings.
Enrollment for Families in Zip Code 20854
Children in zip code 20854 are assigned to Montgomery County Public Schools for public school enrollment, covering grades Pre-K – 12th. School assignments are address-specific — your elementary, middle, and high school placements depend on your exact street address within zip code 20854, not just your neighborhood. Two homes on opposite ends of the same zip code may be assigned to different schools within the same district.
To confirm your specific school assignments, contact Montgomery County Public Schools at (240)740-3000 or visit www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org. Typical enrollment documents include a signed lease or mortgage statement, birth certificate, state-required immunization documentation, and recent report cards or transcripts. If your child has an IEP or 504 plan, bring that documentation to enrollment — Maryland districts are required to continue services within a reasonable period. Fall enrollment windows typically open in late winter or early spring; contact the district for exact dates and required steps.
School Districts and Home Values in Potomac
Research consistently shows that district assignment affects residential property values. Because Montgomery County Public Schools serves zip code 20854, homes in and around zip code 20854 often carry a measurable premium over comparable properties in adjacent lower-rated districts. District boundaries are address-specific — verify the exact district assignment for any property you’re seriously considering rather than assuming based on the neighborhood. A single block can place two adjacent homes in different districts with different ratings and different annual property tax implications.
Use the property tax estimator on this page to calculate estimated annual tax obligations based on your target purchase price. In Maryland, property taxes are a primary funding source for public schools — your tax payments directly support Montgomery County Public Schools programs and staff. Understanding both district quality and the associated tax burden is essential financial due diligence before committing to any home in zip code 20854.
Data Sources and Accuracy
All district information on this page is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024–2025, the U.S. Department of Education’s annual census of all public school districts — the same dataset used by researchers, journalists, and policymakers to analyze American public education. District boundaries, school assignments, phone numbers, and per-pupil expenditure figures are updated annually when NCES publishes new data, typically in spring. Always verify your specific school assignment and enrollment requirements directly with Montgomery County Public Schools before making any housing or enrollment decision based on zip code 20854 data.