Enrollment
236
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Belgrade, ME
Belgrade Central School
Federal NCES profile for Belgrade Central School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 231477900701
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Belgrade Central School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Maine schools.
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.1:1
- large classes for Maine
- 27.2%
- free-lunch eligible
- 236
- students enrolled
Belgrade Central School has class sizes larger than 85% of Maine schools. Computed live against every Maine school reporting to NCES.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 11.1:1 Maine avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.2%
vs 34.0% Maine avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Belgrade Central School compares with Maine and U.S. medians
What stands out at Belgrade Central School
Belgrade Central School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Belgrade, Maine, enrolling 236 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 13.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Maine schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 236 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maine median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 569 scored Maine schools.
Against 151 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #76.
Its student body is predominantly White (93% of enrollment) (diversity index 13/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Rsu 18 spends $14,717 per pupil, 27% below the Maine average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Rsu 18 also operates Messalonskee High School (695 students) and Messalonskee Middle School (495 students) alongside Belgrade Central School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Belgrade Central School compares
Belgrade Central School on the metrics families compare, against Maine and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maine | Maine avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.1:1 | ▲ 18% | 11.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.2% | ▼ 20% | 34.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 236 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
236
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% below the Maine average of 34.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 85% in Maine - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
33.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,717
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maine avg of $20,083
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 93.2%
Hispanic or Latino 3.4%
Two or More 3.4%
Largest group: White at 93.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.9, Belgrade Central School is less mixed than the Maine school average of 20.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rsu 18, which includes Belgrade Central School.
$14,717
Per student
-27%
vs Maine
Avg $20,083
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.9%
State 37.4%
Federal 11.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Belgrade Central School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Messalonskee High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Messalonskee Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| James H Bean School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| China Primary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Williams Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Belgrade Central School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 495
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 300
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 242
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 222
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maine, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~236 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Belgrade Central School's federal record.
- Compare Belgrade Central School against another school. Compare schools
- Rsu 18's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Belgrade Central School
How many students attend Belgrade Central School?
Belgrade Central School has 236 students enrolled. It is a public school in Belgrade, ME.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Belgrade Central School?
The student-teacher ratio at Belgrade Central School is 13.1:1, which is 18% higher than the Maine average of 11.1:1 and 17% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Belgrade Central School?
27.2% of students at Belgrade Central School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Belgrade Central School?
The largest demographic group at Belgrade Central School is White at 93.2% of enrollment, in Belgrade, ME.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Belgrade Central School?
Belgrade Central School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is Belgrade Central School a good school?
Belgrade Central School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Maine schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Rsu 18?
Besides Belgrade Central School, Rsu 18 also operates Messalonskee High School (695 students), Messalonskee Middle School (495 students), and James H Bean School (300 students). See the Rsu 18 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.