RSU 18 operates 8 public schools serving 2,782 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Maine. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 other, 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 2,554 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Kennebec County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,943 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 50.9% local, 37.4% state, and 11.7% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $80,885 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 19/100, ranked #130 of 131 in Maine against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 8 schools offering Advanced Placement (12 AP courses district-wide), a 238.9:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 33.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 92.7% White, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.1% African American across the district's schools.
Messalonskee High School accounts for 27.2% of all RSU 18 student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means RSU 18-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
RSU 18 school enrollment varies 4.1× across entities
RSU 18 school enrollment ranges from 170 students (lowest) to 695 students (highest), a spread of 525 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio — most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
RSU 18 student-counselor ratio is 239:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
RSU 18 chronic absenteeism rate is 33.3% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
RSU 18 has 8 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 4 other, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 2,782 students.
How much does RSU 18 spend per student?
RSU 18 spends $15,943 per student. The district has an equity score of 19/100, ranking #130 in Maine.
What is the average teacher salary in RSU 18?
The average teacher salary in RSU 18 is $80,885 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near RSU 18?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Kennebec County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of RSU 18?
RSU 18 students are 92.7% White, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.1% African American, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for RSU 18?
RSU 18 has an equity score of 19/100, ranking #130 out of 131 districts in Maine. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.