Stephen Knolls School

Located at 10731 St. Margaret's Way, in Kensington, Maryland, Stephen Knolls School is a minimally staffed combined-grade school that hosts 51 students (grades pre-K through 12), run under Montgomery County Public Schools. That puts it 81% smaller than the typical public school in Maryland, which averages around 275 students.

Within Montgomery County Public Schools, which oversees 208 schools and 159,181 students, Stephen Knolls School is one campus in the system.

Looking at the student body, Stephen Knolls School reports that 35% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups; the rest comes out to 31% White, 24% Black, 10% Asian. That is meaningfully more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 21%.

On the resource side, Stephen Knolls School lists 14 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 3.7:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 6.7:1, putting Stephen Knolls School tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 33% of students at Stephen Knolls School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal.

Across the wider county, the surrounding county (Montgomery County) reports that the typical household earns roughly $132,450 per year, 61% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Montgomery County runs 211 public schools (combined enrollment of about 159,181 students), of which Stephen Knolls School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Oakland Terrace Elementary, around 0.4 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools.

The school occupies a bedroom-community site.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Stephen Knolls School has decreased 46%, going from 94 students in 2018 to 51 in 2025. The White share of enrollment edged up from 19% to 31% over that span. Class-load math has narrowed: from 5.3:1 in 2018 to 3.7:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.