2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 231233000578

Dyer Elementary School — South Portland, ME

Federal NCES profile for Dyer Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 55/100.

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0/100100/10055/100
👥 Class size
61
🌟 Gifted program
30
🎓 Counselors
61
📋 Attendance
67
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →

The verdict

Dyer Elementary School earns a C Resource Investment Index (55/100), with class sizes smaller than 74% of Maine schools.

C
Resource Index · 55/100
9.8:1
small classes for Maine
10.7%
free-lunch eligible
194
students enrolled

School address

South Portland, ME 04106
District: South Portland Public Schools · Maine

Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.

Enrollment

194

Maine · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

20.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

9.8:1

vs 11.3:1 Maine avg

-13% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

10.7%

vs 34.0% Maine avg

-69% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Dyer Elementary School compares with Maine and U.S. medians

At or below state median
0:135:19.8:1

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula. PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.

What this school's NCES data tells you

Dyer Elementary School reports 194 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 20.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 9.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 13% below the Maine state mean of 11.3:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 38% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.

Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 10.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 69% below the Maine average and 79% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 194 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 13.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

On the finance side, the surrounding South Portland Public Schools spends $16,890 per pupil district-wide, below the Maine average of $23,827 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 77.2% from local sources (property taxes), 20.6% from the state, and 2.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (C), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25

How Dyer Elementary School compares

Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Maine state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.

Metric This school vs Maine Maine avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 9.8:1 ▼ 13% 11.3:1 15.9:1
Free-lunch eligible 10.7% ▼ 69% 34.0% 51.8%
Enrollment 194 top 40% — —

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

Class size vs. every US school

Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)

10 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 91% of 92,598 US schools

0–2: 295 US schools (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 597 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 4–6: 1,033 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 6–8: 1,939 US schools (2%). Below this entry. 8–10: 4,805 US schools (5%). This entry sits in this band. 10–12: 11,082 US schools (12%). Above this entry. 12–14: 16,971 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 14–16: 18,959 US schools (20%). Above this entry. 16–18: 13,660 US schools (15%). Above this entry. 18–20: 8,300 US schools (9%). Above this entry. 20–22: 5,448 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 22–24: 4,007 US schools (4%). Above this entry. 24–26: 2,663 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 26–28: 1,131 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 28–30: 504 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 30–32: 307 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 32–34: 189 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 34–36: 141 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 36–38: 93 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 38–40: 94 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 40–42: 59 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 42–44: 46 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 44–46: 56 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 46–48: 58 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 48–50: 34 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 50–52: 37 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 52–54: 30 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 54–56: 15 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 56–58: 25 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 58–60: 20 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 60 every US school, by class size, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

School size vs. every US school

Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')

194 larger than 19% of 95,891 US schools

0–150: 14,035 US schools (15%). Below this entry. 150–300: 16,928 US schools (18%). This entry sits in this band. 300–450: 21,633 US schools (23%). Above this entry. 450–600: 17,006 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 600–750: 10,042 US schools (10%). Above this entry. 750–900: 5,568 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 900–1,050: 3,006 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 1,050–1,200: 1,826 US schools (2%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,350: 1,220 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,350–1,500: 908 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,500–1,650: 692 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,650–1,800: 607 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,800–1,950: 502 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,950–2,100: 432 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,100–2,250: 346 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,250–2,400: 252 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,400–2,550: 203 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,550–2,700: 163 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,700–2,850: 115 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,850–3,000: 85 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 3,000 every US school, by enrollment, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

What the federal data reveals about equity at this school

Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.

Economic need
10.7%
free-lunch eligible — 69% 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
9.8:1
students per teacher — 13% below state mean
Top 26% in Maine — lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
13.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$16,890
per pupil, district-wide — below Maine avg of $23,827
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 194 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Overview

Enrollment 194 Top 40% in Maine — larger than 60% of 570 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 20.0
Students per teacher 9.8:1 -13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 10.7% -69% vs state
NCES ID 231233000578

Student demographics

White 76.3%
African American 10.3%
Two or More 5.7%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
Asian 2.6%

Largest group: White at 76.3% of enrollment.

Programs & staff

Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 194:1

Discipline & special education

Chronically absent 13.4%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Portland Public Schools, which includes Dyer Elementary School.

$16,890
Per student
-29%
vs Maine
Avg $23,827
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 77.2%
State 20.6%
Federal 2.2%

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.

Other Schools in This District

South Portland Public Schools · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar elementary schools in South Portland

4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Daniel F. Mahoney Middle School
Standard public school
424 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Waldo T Skillin Elementary School
Standard public school
302 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Frank I Brown Elementary School
Standard public school
213 students 9.4:1 students per teacher
Dora L Small Elementary School
Standard public school
193 students 10.8:1 students per teacher

Educator & family resources

In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.

Understanding NCES data

How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.

Choose a school district

Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.

How schools are funded

Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.

Chronic absenteeism

Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.

Magnet vs charter vs traditional

Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.

School discipline data

What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.

Frequently asked questions about Dyer Elementary School

How many students attend Dyer Elementary School?

Dyer Elementary School has 194 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in South Portland, ME.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Dyer Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Dyer Elementary School is 9.8:1, which is 13% lower than the Maine average of 11.3:1 and 38% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dyer Elementary School?

10.7% of students at Dyer Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dyer Elementary School?

The largest demographic group at Dyer Elementary School is White at 76.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in South Portland, ME.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Dyer Elementary School?

Dyer Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (C) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.

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Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type — administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) — universe of U.S. public schools and districts. nces.ed.gov/ccd
  • NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) — discipline, absenteeism, and AP-course participation. ocrdata.ed.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey — per-pupil expenditure and revenue sources. nces.ed.gov/ccd/f33agency
  • USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP) — free and reduced-price lunch eligibility. fns.usda.gov/nslp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS — demographic and socioeconomic context for school catchment areas. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • U.S. Department of Education ESSA Title I — federal Title I program participation. ed.gov