Rsu 53/Msad 53

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Pittsfield, Maine - 3 schools

An equity score of 39/100 ranks Rsu 53/Msad 53 #96 of 131 districts in Maine (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,100 per pupil, Rsu 53/Msad 53 ranks #185 of 203 Maine districts by per-pupil spending (Maine districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

845
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$13,100
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Rsu 53/Msad 53 operates 3 public schools serving 845 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Maine. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 combined schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Somerset County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,100 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the bottom 21 of 203 Maine districts by per-pupil spending. See how Maine compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 36.6% local, 51.5% state, and 11.9% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 39/100, ranked #96 of 131 in Maine against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 249:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 30.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 91.9% White, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Warsaw Middle School, with a diversity index of 17.4/100.

Its largest campus is Warsaw Middle School, enrolling 259 students (45% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Manson Park School, at 80 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Warsaw Middle School accounts for 30.7% of all Rsu 53/Msad 53 student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Rsu 53/Msad 53-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Rsu 53/Msad 53 school enrollment varies 3.2× across entities

Rsu 53/Msad 53 school enrollment ranges from 80 students (lowest) to 259 students (highest), a spread of 179 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Rsu 53/Msad 53 student-counselor ratio is 249:1 — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Rsu 53/Msad 53 chronic absenteeism rate is 30.4% — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

11.9%
Federal
51.5%
State
36.6%
Local

Funding Equity

39
Equity Score
96 / 131
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Rsu 53/Msad 53.

White 91.9%
Hispanic or Latino 3.1%
African American 0.7%
Multiracial 3.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 15.3/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Rsu 53/Msad 53's schools, below the Maine average of 20.6.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Warsaw Middle School 17.4
  2. 2 Manson Park School 14.3
  3. 3 Vickery School 14.2

Programs & Resources

249:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
30.4%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Rsu 53/Msad 53

School Enrollment
Warsaw Middle School
259
Vickery School
239
Manson Park School
80

How Rsu 53/Msad 53 Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Maine districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Msad 46 Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Rsu 26 Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Rsu 24 Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Winthrop Public Schools Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Msad 27 Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Rsu 53/Msad 53's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Maine

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Portland Public Schools
6,476 students · 17 schools · $20,442/pupil
Compare vs Rsu 53/Msad 53 →
Lewiston Public Schools
5,088 students · 8 schools · $17,099/pupil
Compare vs Rsu 53/Msad 53 →
Bangor Public Schools
3,454 students · 10 schools · $16,534/pupil
Compare vs Rsu 53/Msad 53 →
Rsu 06/Msad 06
3,283 students · 8 schools · $16,246/pupil
Compare vs Rsu 53/Msad 53 →
Rsu 17/Msad 17
3,223 students · 10 schools · $15,117/pupil
Compare vs Rsu 53/Msad 53 →

Compare Rsu 53/Msad 53

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Portland Public Schools →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Rsu 53/Msad 53?

Rsu 53/Msad 53 has 3 schools, including 2 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 845 students.

How much does Rsu 53/Msad 53 spend per student?

Rsu 53/Msad 53 spends $13,100 per student. The district has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #96 in Maine.

What is the demographic composition of Rsu 53/Msad 53?

Rsu 53/Msad 53 students are 91.9% White, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% African American, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Rsu 53/Msad 53?

Rsu 53/Msad 53 has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #96 out of 131 districts in Maine.