Enrollment
245
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · West Gardiner, ME
Helen Thompson School
Federal NCES profile for Helen Thompson School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 231059000300
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Helen Thompson School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Maine schools.
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.9:1
- large classes for Maine
- 27.3%
- free-lunch eligible
- 245
- students enrolled
Helen Thompson School has class sizes larger than 83% of Maine schools. Computed live against every Maine school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Rsu 11/Msad 11 · Maine
NCES ID 231059000300 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 11.1:1 Maine avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.3%
vs 34.0% Maine avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Helen Thompson School compares with Maine and U.S. medians
What stands out at Helen Thompson School
Helen Thompson School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in West Gardiner, Maine, enrolling 245 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Maine schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 245 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maine median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 569 scored Maine schools.
Among 156 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maine schools statewide, it ranks #138, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment) (diversity index 12/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 408 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Rsu 11/Msad 11 spends $15,413 per pupil, 23% below the Maine average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Rsu 11/Msad 11 also operates Gardiner Area High School (565 students) and Gardiner Regional Middle School (425 students) alongside Helen Thompson 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 Helen Thompson School compares
Helen Thompson 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 | 12.9:1 | ▲ 16% | 11.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.3% | ▼ 20% | 34.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 245 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
245
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.3%
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
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 83% in Maine - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
40.0%
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
$15,413
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
Counselors0.6 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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 93.9%
Two or More 2.4%
Hispanic or Latino 1.6%
Asian 1.2%
African American 0.8%
Largest group: White at 93.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 11.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 11.7, Helen Thompson 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 11/Msad 11, which includes Helen Thompson School.
$15,413
Per student
-23%
vs Maine
Avg $20,083
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.8%
State 52.0%
Federal 13.1%
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 Helen Thompson School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardiner Area High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gardiner Regional Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Laura E Richards School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pittston-Randolph Consolidated School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| River View Community School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Helen Thompson School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 565
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 425
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 219
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 200
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 192
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
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 (~245 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Helen Thompson School's federal record.
- Compare Helen Thompson School against another school. Compare schools
- Rsu 11/Msad 11'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 Helen Thompson School
How many students attend Helen Thompson School?
Helen Thompson School has 245 students enrolled. It is a public school in West Gardiner, ME.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Helen Thompson School?
The student-teacher ratio at Helen Thompson School is 12.9:1, which is 16% higher than the Maine average of 11.1:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Helen Thompson School?
27.3% of students at Helen Thompson School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Helen Thompson School?
The largest demographic group at Helen Thompson School is White at 93.9% of enrollment, in West Gardiner, ME.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Helen Thompson School?
Helen Thompson School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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).
Is Helen Thompson School a good school?
Helen Thompson School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% 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 11/Msad 11?
Besides Helen Thompson School, Rsu 11/Msad 11 also operates Gardiner Area High School (565 students), Gardiner Regional Middle School (425 students), and Laura E Richards School (219 students). See the Rsu 11/Msad 11 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.