BETHESDA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROFILE 

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE

ENVIRONMENT:     

Community Characteristics/History
Bethesda Elementary School is located in the heart of Bethesda, Maryland.  Bethesda is an urbanized, but unincorporated area in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, just Northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a church located there, the Bethesda Presbyterian Church, built in 1820 and rebuilt in 1850, which in turn took its name from Jerusalem’s Pool of Bethesda.    

Bethesda is a wealthy and well educated area.  According to the 2000 Census, Bethesda is the best educated city in the United States with a population of 50,000 or more.  79% of residents, 25 or older, have a bachelor’s degree and 49% have graduate or professional degrees.  The median income for a household is $99, 102.00, and the median income for a family was $130,160.00   

The School Plant 
Bethesda Elementary School is part of the Bethesda Chevy Chase Cluster and was built in 1952 on 7.5 acres of land.  The $80,000.00, 14 classroom brick building opened on Wilson Lane to 388 students in grades 1–8.  In 1953, they added a Kindergarten and a ninth grade increasing the enrollment from 388 students to 550.  At that time, BE became the second largest school in Montgomery County.  In 1999, Bethesda Elementary was modernized and is currently 62, 557 square feet.  Since the 1999 reopening of BE the student enrollment increased and now, 2007, has added 3 portable classrooms.  There are currently 21 classrooms, a gymnasium, all-purpose room (cafeteria and stage), assistant principal’s office, counselor’s office, health room, Reading Initiative room, reading room, and 3 portable classrooms, a media center and a computer lab.  Our Kindergarten enrollment continues to increase, which might be a concern with regards to space in the future.    There are six support areas:  one for speech and language, one for ESOL, and four for special education.