Enrollment
282
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Houlton, ME
Houlton Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Houlton Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 231116000415
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Houlton Elementary School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Maine schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Houlton · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.4:1
- large classes for Maine
- 52.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Houlton Elementary School has class sizes larger than 88% of Maine schools. Computed live against every Maine school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Houlton Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Houlton, ME.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 11.1:1 Maine avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.0%
vs 34.0% Maine avg
+53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Houlton Elementary School compares with Maine and U.S. medians
What stands out at Houlton Elementary School
Houlton Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Houlton, Maine, enrolling 282 students.
Class loads run heavy: 13.4:1 is larger than about 88% of Maine schools and 21% above the 11.1:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 52.0% of students qualify for free meals, 53% above the Maine average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 282 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maine median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 569 Maine schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 95 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maine schools statewide, it ranks #92, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 61.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Rsu 29/Msad 29 spends $14,609 per pupil, 27% below the Maine average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 22.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Rsu 29/Msad 29 also operates Houlton High School (378 students) and Houlton Southside School (368 students) alongside Houlton 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 Houlton Elementary School compares
Houlton 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 | 13.4:1 | ▲ 21% | 11.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.0% | ▲ 53% | 34.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 282 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
282
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% above the Maine average of 34.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 88% in Maine - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
61.7%
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
$14,609
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
- 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 80.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 14.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.4%
African American 1.1%
Two or More 1.1%
Asian 0.7%
Hispanic or Latino 0.4%
Largest group: White at 80.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.4, Houlton Elementary School is more mixed than the Maine school average of 20.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rsu 29/Msad 29, which includes Houlton Elementary School.
$14,609
Per student
-27%
vs Maine
Avg $20,083
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.1%
State 60.6%
Federal 22.3%
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 Houlton Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houlton High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Houlton Southside School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Houlton Junior High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Houlton Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 378
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 368
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 186
- Students per teacher
- 8.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~282 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Houlton Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Houlton Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Rsu 29/Msad 29'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 Houlton Elementary School
How many students attend Houlton Elementary School?
Houlton Elementary School has 282 students enrolled. It is a public school in Houlton, ME.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Houlton Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Houlton Elementary School is 13.4:1, which is 21% higher than the Maine average of 11.1:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Houlton Elementary School?
52.0% of students at Houlton Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Houlton Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Houlton Elementary School is White at 80.9% of enrollment, in Houlton, ME.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Houlton Elementary School?
Houlton Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower 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 Houlton Elementary School rank among public schools in Houlton?
By Resource Investment Index, Houlton Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Houlton, 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 Houlton on the city page.
Is Houlton Elementary School a good school?
Houlton Elementary School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 29/Msad 29?
Besides Houlton Elementary School, Rsu 29/Msad 29 also operates Houlton High School (378 students), Houlton Southside School (368 students), and Houlton Junior High School (186 students). See the Rsu 29/Msad 29 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.