RSU 89 operates 2 public schools serving 305 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Maine. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 264 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Penobscot County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $21,686 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 38.5% local, 45.5% state, and 16.0% 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 $102,292 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 62/100, ranked #42 of 131 in Maine against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
a 177.3:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 61.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 95.1% White, 1.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% Asian across the district's schools.
Katahdin Elementary School accounts for 51.5% of all RSU 89 student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means RSU 89-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. 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 89 student-counselor ratio is 177:1 — 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 89 chronic absenteeism rate is 61.3% — 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 89 has 2 schools, including 2 other. Total enrollment is 305 students.
How much does RSU 89 spend per student?
RSU 89 spends $21,686 per student. The district has an equity score of 62/100, ranking #42 in Maine.
What is the average teacher salary in RSU 89?
The average teacher salary in RSU 89 is $102,292 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near RSU 89?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Penobscot County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of RSU 89?
RSU 89 students are 95.1% White, 1.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% Asian, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for RSU 89?
RSU 89 has an equity score of 62/100, ranking #42 out of 131 districts in Maine. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.