Enrollment
262
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chelsea, ME
Chelsea Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Chelsea Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 231478000120
👥 S:T ratio 70
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chelsea Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Maine schools.
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7.5:1
- small classes for Maine
- 45.2%
- free-lunch eligible
- 262
- students enrolled
Chelsea Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 91% of Maine schools. Computed live against every Maine school reporting to NCES.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.5:1
vs 11.1:1 Maine avg
-32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.2%
vs 34.0% Maine avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chelsea Elementary School compares with Maine and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chelsea Elementary School
Chelsea Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Chelsea, Maine, enrolling 262 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.5:1, Chelsea Elementary School is leaner than roughly 91% of Maine schools and 32% under the state's 11.1:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 45.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 262 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 126 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #36.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment) (diversity index 13/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Rsu 12 spends $12,672 per pupil, 37% below the Maine average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Rsu 12 also operates Windsor Elementary School (288 students) and Whitefield Elementary School (184 students) alongside Chelsea Elementary 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 Chelsea Elementary School compares
Chelsea Elementary 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 | 7.5:1 | ▼ 32% | 11.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.2% | ▲ 33% | 34.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 262 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.5:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
262
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% above the Maine average of 34.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
7.5:1
students per teacher
- 32% below state mean
Top 9% in Maine - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
40.8%
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
$12,672
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maine avg of $20,083
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.0 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 93.5%
African American 1.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.5%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: White at 93.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.5, Chelsea Elementary 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 12, which includes Chelsea Elementary School.
$12,672
Per student
-37%
vs Maine
Avg $20,083
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.6%
State 42.0%
Federal 12.4%
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 Chelsea Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Whitefield Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palermo Consolidated School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Somerville Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chelsea Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 288
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 184
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 111
- Students per teacher
- 8.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 32
- Students per teacher
- 32:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
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 (~262 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~7.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chelsea Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Chelsea Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Rsu 12'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 Chelsea Elementary School
How many students attend Chelsea Elementary School?
Chelsea Elementary School has 262 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chelsea, ME.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chelsea Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Chelsea Elementary School is 7.5:1, which is 32% lower than the Maine average of 11.1:1 and 52% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Chelsea Elementary School?
45.2% of students at Chelsea Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chelsea Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Chelsea Elementary School is White at 93.5% of enrollment, in Chelsea, ME.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chelsea Elementary School?
Chelsea Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Chelsea Elementary School a good school?
Chelsea Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% 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 12?
Besides Chelsea Elementary School, Rsu 12 also operates Windsor Elementary School (288 students), Whitefield Elementary School (184 students), and Palermo Consolidated School (111 students). See the Rsu 12 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.