Enrollment
272
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Poland, ME
Bruce M Whittier Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Bruce M Whittier Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 68/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 231477500438
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 64
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bruce M Whittier Middle School earns 68/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maine median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Poland · Resource Index
- 68
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.8:1
- students per teacher
- 28.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Bruce M Whittier Middle School has class sizes near the Maine median. Computed live against every Maine school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bruce M Whittier Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Poland, ME.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 11.1:1 Maine avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.1%
vs 34.0% Maine avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bruce M Whittier Middle School compares with Maine and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bruce M Whittier Middle School
Bruce M Whittier Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Poland, Maine, enrolling 272 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 11.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Maine schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 272 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maine median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 99% of the 569 Maine schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 160 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maine schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment) (diversity index 11/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 181 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Rsu 16 spends $15,544 per pupil, 23% below the Maine average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Rsu 16 also operates Poland Regional H S (506 students) and Poland Community School (423 students) alongside Bruce M Whittier Middle 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 Bruce M Whittier Middle School compares
Bruce M Whittier Middle 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 | 11.8:1 | ▲ 6% | 11.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.1% | ▼ 17% | 34.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 272 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
272
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 67% in Maine - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
6.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$15,544
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 181 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.2 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 94.1%
Hispanic or Latino 3.3%
Two or More 1.8%
African American 0.4%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 94.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 11.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 11.3, Bruce M Whittier Middle 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 16, which includes Bruce M Whittier Middle School.
$15,544
Per student
-23%
vs Maine
Avg $20,083
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.7%
State 48.5%
Federal 12.8%
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 Bruce M Whittier Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland Regional H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Poland Community School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Minot Consolidated School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bruce M Whittier Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 506
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 423
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 241
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 229
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar middle 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 (~272 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bruce M Whittier Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Bruce M Whittier Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Rsu 16'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 Bruce M Whittier Middle School
How many students attend Bruce M Whittier Middle School?
Bruce M Whittier Middle School has 272 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Poland, ME.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bruce M Whittier Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Bruce M Whittier Middle School is 11.8:1, which is 6% higher than the Maine average of 11.1:1 and 25% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bruce M Whittier Middle School?
28.1% of students at Bruce M Whittier Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bruce M Whittier Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Bruce M Whittier Middle School is White at 94.1% of enrollment, in Poland, ME.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bruce M Whittier Middle School?
Bruce M Whittier Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 68/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bruce M Whittier Middle School rank among public schools in Poland?
By Resource Investment Index, Bruce M Whittier Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Poland, ME. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Poland on the city page.
Is Bruce M Whittier Middle School a good school?
Bruce M Whittier Middle School earns 68/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maine median. 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 16?
Besides Bruce M Whittier Middle School, Rsu 16 also operates Poland Regional H S (506 students), Poland Community School (423 students), and Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls (241 students). See the Rsu 16 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.