Enrollment
489
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Portland, ME
Harrison Lyseth Elem School
Federal NCES profile for Harrison Lyseth Elem School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 65/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 230993000272
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harrison Lyseth Elem School earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maine median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Maine schools.
- #1 of 6
- schools in Portland · Resource Index
- 65
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.9:1
- students per teacher
- 28.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Harrison Lyseth Elem School has class sizes near the Maine median. Computed live against every Maine school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harrison Lyseth Elem School ranks #1 of 6 schools in Portland, ME.
School address
District: Portland Public Schools · Maine
NCES ID 230993000272 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 11.1:1 Maine avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.2%
vs 34.0% Maine avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harrison Lyseth Elem School compares with Maine and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harrison Lyseth Elem School
Harrison Lyseth Elem School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Portland, Maine, enrolling 489 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 11.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Maine schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 28.2% lands close to the Maine typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 489 puts it in the larger third of Maine schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 97% of the 569 Maine schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 116 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maine schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and African American (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 63/100).
11.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Portland's public schools, it stands alongside Amanda C Rowe School (470 students): Harrison Lyseth Elem School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (11.9:1 vs 11.8:1).
Portland Public Schools also operates Portland High School (912 students) and Deering High School (850 students) alongside Harrison Lyseth Elem 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 Harrison Lyseth Elem School compares
Harrison Lyseth Elem 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 | 11.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 11.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.2% | ▼ 17% | 34.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 489 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
489
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.2%
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
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 68% in Maine - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
11.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$20,442
per pupil, district-wide
- above Maine avg of $20,083
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 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 54.2%
African American 26.4%
Two or More 8.4%
Hispanic or Latino 5.5%
Asian 3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 54.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.5, Harrison Lyseth Elem School is more mixed than the Maine school average of 20.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Portland Public Schools, which includes Harrison Lyseth Elem School.
$20,442
Per student
+2%
vs Maine
Avg $20,083
+23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 68.1%
State 23.3%
Federal 8.7%
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 Harrison Lyseth Elem School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Deering High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Amanda C Rowe School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lyman Moore Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Howard C Reiche Community Sch | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Harrison Lyseth Elem School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 912
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 850
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 470
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 470
- Students per teacher
- 9.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 467
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar other schools in Portland
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Amanda C Rowe School
Standard public school
470 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Howard C Reiche Community Sch
Standard public school
467 students 11.1:1 students per teacher
Gerald E Talbot Community School
Standard public school
394 students 9:1 students per teacher
East End Community School
Standard public school
391 students 9.8:1 students per teacher
Presumpscot School
Standard public school
266 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
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 (~489 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harrison Lyseth Elem School's federal record.
- Compare Harrison Lyseth Elem School against another school. Compare schools
- Portland Public Schools'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 Harrison Lyseth Elem School
How many students attend Harrison Lyseth Elem School?
Harrison Lyseth Elem School has 489 students enrolled. It is a public school in Portland, ME.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harrison Lyseth Elem School?
The student-teacher ratio at Harrison Lyseth Elem School is 11.9:1, which is 7% higher than the Maine average of 11.1:1 and 24% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Harrison Lyseth Elem School?
28.2% of students at Harrison Lyseth Elem School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harrison Lyseth Elem School?
The largest demographic group at Harrison Lyseth Elem School is White at 54.2% of enrollment, in Portland, ME. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harrison Lyseth Elem School?
Harrison Lyseth Elem School has a Resource Investment Index of 65/100 (higher 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).
How does Harrison Lyseth Elem School rank among schools in Portland?
By Resource Investment Index, Harrison Lyseth Elem School ranks #1 of 6 schools in Portland, ME. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Portland on the city page.
Is Harrison Lyseth Elem School a good school?
Harrison Lyseth Elem School earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maine median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Portland Public Schools?
Besides Harrison Lyseth Elem School, Portland Public Schools also operates Portland High School (912 students), Deering High School (850 students), and Amanda C Rowe School (470 students). See the Portland Public Schools 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.