Walter Johnson High

Walter Johnson High operates as a well-populated high school in Bethesda, Maryland, overseen by Montgomery County Public Schools. Current enrollment sits at 3,016 students spanning grades 9 through 12. That puts it 155% above the typical public school in Maryland, which averages around 1,185 students.

Montgomery County Public Schools comprises 208 schools with combined enrollment of 159,181 students; Walter Johnson High is among them.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Walter Johnson High lists that the largest single group is White at 45%, but no single group is in the majority. Beyond that, the school reports 19% Hispanic, 16% Black, 13% Asian, 7% multiracial. Compared to Montgomery County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 167 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 18.1:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 15.3:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. About 20% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Montgomery County runs at roughly 40%, so the school's eligibility rate is below the surrounding baseline.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Walter Johnson High is in the bottom 10% of Maryland public schools. The BeatsExpectations model predicts schools with this FRL share to land around 62.5%; Walter Johnson High posts 47.8%, -14.7 points below that line.

Across the wider county, ACS estimates for Montgomery County put the typical household earns roughly $132,450 per year, roughly 61% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, 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 Walter Johnson High is one.

The closest other public school is Ashburton Elementary, roughly 0.5 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Walter Johnson High at 7th of 8; the average score across the group is 61.5%.

Geographically, the school is in an inner-city area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count expanded 22%: 2,475 students in 2018 compared to 3,016 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share edged down from 54% to 45%.

Within the allk12 community for this school, members of the Walter Johnson High community share and discuss science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.