Rsu 56

Public school district · Oxford County · Maine · NCES district ID 2314833

Rsu 56 spent $17,810 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 70% of the other Maine districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $20,194). Its 3 schools enrolled 720 students in 2024-25; 51.6% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $19,797 per student, up 11.2% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 80-89% (Maine: 87.3%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among Maine districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Rsu 56 in enrollment (690 to 838 students) and Rsu 56 itself.

Current spending per student, Maine districts closest in size to Rsu 56, FY23Rsu 24 $22,868; Rsu 28/Msad 28 $22,053; Msad 46 $20,452; Rsu 37/Msad 37 $20,282; Five Town CSD $19,305; Rsu 26 $18,843; Winthrop Public Schools $18,625; Rsu 44/Msad 44 $18,446; Rsu 56 $17,810; Msad 27 $17,139; State median, under 1,000 students $20,194.15k17.5k20k22.5k25kRsu 24$22,868Rsu 28/Msad 28$22,053Msad 46$20,452Rsu 37/Msad 37$20,282Five Town CSD$19,305Rsu 26$18,843Winthrop Public Schools$18,625Rsu 44/Msad 44$18,446Rsu 56$17,810Msad 27$17,139State median, under 1,000 students $20,194
Current spending per student, Maine districts closest in size to Rsu 56, FY23Rsu 24 $22,868; Rsu 28/Msad 28 $22,053; Msad 46 $20,452; Rsu 37/Msad 37 $20,282; Five Town CSD $19,305; Rsu 26 $18,843; Winthrop Public Schools $18,625; Rsu 44/Msad 44 $18,446; Rsu 56 $17,810; Msad 27 $17,139; State median, under 1,000 students $20,194.15k17.5k20k22.5k25kRsu 24$22,868Rsu 28/Msad 28$22,053Msad 46$20,452Rsu 37/Msad 37$20,282Five Town CSD$19,305Rsu 26$18,843Winthrop Public Schools$18,625Rsu 44/Msad 44$18,446Rsu 56$17,810Msad 27$17,139State median, under 1,000 students $20,194
Current spending per student, Maine districts closest in size to Rsu 56, FY23Rsu 24 $22,868; Rsu 28/Msad 28 $22,053; Msad 46 $20,452; Rsu 37/Msad 37 $20,282; Five Town CSD $19,305; Rsu 26 $18,843; Winthrop Public Schools $18,625; Rsu 44/Msad 44 $18,446; Rsu 56 $17,810; Msad 27 $17,139; State median, under 1,000 students $20,194.15k20k25kRsu 24$22,868Rsu 28/Msad 28$22,053Msad 46$20,452Rsu 37/Msad 37$20,282Five Town CSD$19,305Rsu 26$18,843Winthrop Public Schools$18,625Rsu 44/Msad 44$18,446Rsu 56$17,810Msad 27$17,139State median, under 1,000 students $20,194
Current spending per student, Maine districts closest in size to Rsu 56, FY23Rsu 24 $22,868; Rsu 28/Msad 28 $22,053; Msad 46 $20,452; Rsu 37/Msad 37 $20,282; Five Town CSD $19,305; Rsu 26 $18,843; Winthrop Public Schools $18,625; Rsu 44/Msad 44 $18,446; Rsu 56 $17,810; Msad 27 $17,139; State median, under 1,000 students $20,194.15k20k25kRsu 24$22,868Rsu 28/Msad 28$22,053Msad 46$20,452Rsu 37/Msad 37$20,282Five Town CSD$19,305Rsu 26$18,843Winthrop Public Schools$18,625Rsu 44/Msad 44$18,446Rsu 56$17,810Msad 27$17,139State median, under 1,000 students $20,194

Where the money came from

$15,748,000 in revenue: 51.6% state, 37.5% local and 10.9% federal. Total spending including $327,000 of capital outlay was $14,687,000, or $19,224 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Rsu 56 revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $8,123,000; Local $5,903,000; Federal $1,722,000; total $15,748,000.
  • State$8,123,000 52%
  • Local$5,903,000 37%
  • Federal$1,722,000 11%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 139 districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

764 students in 2022-23, 755 students in 2023-24, 720 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Rsu 56 enrollment by school year2022-23: 764, 2023-24: 755, 2024-25: 72002004006008002022-237642023-247552024-25720
Rsu 56 enrollment by school year2022-23: 764, 2023-24: 755, 2024-25: 72002004006008002022-237642023-247552024-25720
Rsu 56 enrollment by school year2022-23: 764, 2023-24: 755, 2024-25: 72002004006008002022-237642023-247552024-25720
Rsu 56 enrollment by school year2022-23: 764, 2023-24: 755, 2024-25: 72002004006008002022-237642023-247552024-25720

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2376460.012.7
2023-2475558.013.0
2024-2572057.012.6

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$3,563,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,664 per student

Rsu 56 booked $3,563,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 60 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $59,383 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 48 in 100 Maine districts with a figure (state median $60,073, 173 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Maine teacher salary at $58,757 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$2,930,00082.2%
Special education$491,00013.8%
Other programs$142,0004.0%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,168 in 2018-19, $4,232 in 2019-20, $4,772 in 2020-21, $4,817 in 2021-22, $4,664 in 2022-23.

Rsu 56 teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,168, 2019-20: $4,232, 2020-21: $4,772, 2021-22: $4,817, 2022-23: $4,66402k4k6k2018-19$4,1682019-20$4,2322020-21$4,7722021-22$4,8172022-23$4,664
Rsu 56 teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,168, 2019-20: $4,232, 2020-21: $4,772, 2021-22: $4,817, 2022-23: $4,66402k4k6k2018-19$4,1682019-20$4,2322020-21$4,7722021-22$4,8172022-23$4,664
Rsu 56 teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,168, 2019-20: $4,232, 2020-21: $4,772, 2021-22: $4,817, 2022-23: $4,66402k4k6k2018-19$4,1682019-20$4,2322020-21$4,7722021-22$4,8172022-23$4,664
Rsu 56 teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,168, 2019-20: $4,232, 2020-21: $4,772, 2021-22: $4,817, 2022-23: $4,66402k4k6k2018-19$4,1682019-20$4,2322020-21$4,7722021-22$4,8172022-23$4,664

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Rsu 56 scored proficient or above: 78% in reading and 74% in math, against 84.1% in reading and 81.5% in math across Maine. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Maine, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtMaineStudents tested
Reading and language arts78%84.1%358
Math74%81.5%358

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

80-89% of the 56 students in Rsu 56's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.3% across Maine. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtMaine
Four-year graduation rate80‑89%87.3%
Students in the class5613,941

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

1 elementary school, 324 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Dirigo Elementary School32411.749.7%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 middle school, 180 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School18015.055.6%Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 high school, 216 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Dirigo High School21612.646.3%Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Rsu 56

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Rsu 56

  1. Maine districts by spending per studentRsu 56 ranks 97 of 139 Maine districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($17,810).#97 of 139
  2. Every school district in MaineRsu 56 is the number 74 by size of 234 Maine districts, with 764 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#74 of 234
  3. Msad 27The next larger Maine district: 818 students in fall 2022, $17,139 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,139
  4. Rsu 28/Msad 28The next smaller Maine district: 738 students in fall 2022, $22,053 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$22,053
  5. Compare Rsu 56 with Msad 27Enrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Dirigo High School, its largest high school216 students in 2024-25, 12.6 per teacher.216
  7. Teacher salary spending across MaineRsu 56 spent $59,383 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $60,073); spending, not a salary.$59,383
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Rsu 56

  1. How many schools and students are in Rsu 56?
    3 schools were open in 2024-25 (1 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high), enrolling 720 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Rsu 56 spend per student?
    $17,810 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Maine median for districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $20,194 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $19,797 per student, up 11.2% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Rsu 56's money come from?
    $15,748,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 51.6% state, 37.5% local and 10.9% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Rsu 56 live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 73 of the 705 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 10.4%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Rsu 56 spend on teacher salaries?
    $3,563,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,664 per student. Divided by the 60 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $59,383 per teacher, more than 48 in 100 Maine districts (state median $60,073). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Maine teacher salary at $58,757 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Rsu 56 do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Rsu 56 scored proficient or above: 78% in reading and 74% in math, against 84.1% in reading and 81.5% in math across Maine. Maine's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Rsu 56?
    80-89% of the 56 students in Rsu 56's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.3% across Maine. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Rsu 56's NCES district ID?
    2314833. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .