Enrollment
368
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Houlton, ME
Houlton Southside School
Federal NCES profile for Houlton Southside School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 231116000035
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Houlton Southside School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Maine schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Houlton · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.3:1
- large classes for Maine
- 57.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Houlton Southside School has class sizes larger than 96% of Maine schools. Computed live against every Maine school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Houlton Southside School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Houlton, ME.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 11.1:1 Maine avg
+38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.1%
vs 34.0% Maine avg
+68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Houlton Southside School compares with Maine and U.S. medians
What stands out at Houlton Southside School
Houlton Southside School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Houlton, Maine, enrolling 368 students.
Class loads run heavy: 15.3:1 is larger than about 96% of Maine schools and 38% above the 11.1:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 57.1% of students qualify for free meals, 68% above the Maine average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 368 puts it in the larger third of Maine schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 569 scored Maine schools.
Among 65 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maine schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
15.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
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 Elementary School (282 students) alongside Houlton Southside 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 Southside School compares
Houlton Southside 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 | 15.3:1 | ▲ 38% | 11.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.1% | ▲ 68% | 34.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 368 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
368
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% 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
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 38% above state mean
Top 96% in Maine - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
15.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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 83.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 10.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.2%
Two or More 2.2%
African American 0.8%
Asian 0.8%
Hispanic or Latino 0.3%
Largest group: White at 83.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.5, Houlton Southside School is more mixed than the Maine school average of 20.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rsu 29/Msad 29, which includes Houlton Southside 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 Southside School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houlton High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Houlton Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Houlton Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Houlton Southside 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
- 282
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 186
- Students per teacher
- 8.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar elementary 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 (~368 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Houlton Southside School's federal record.
- Compare Houlton Southside 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 Southside School
How many students attend Houlton Southside School?
Houlton Southside School has 368 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Houlton, ME.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Houlton Southside School?
The student-teacher ratio at Houlton Southside School is 15.3:1, which is 38% higher than the Maine average of 11.1:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Houlton Southside School?
57.1% of students at Houlton Southside School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Houlton Southside School?
The largest demographic group at Houlton Southside School is White at 83.2% of enrollment, in Houlton, ME.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Houlton Southside School?
Houlton Southside School has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (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 Houlton Southside School rank among public schools in Houlton?
By Resource Investment Index, Houlton Southside School ranks #1 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 Southside School a good school?
Houlton Southside School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% 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 Southside School, Rsu 29/Msad 29 also operates Houlton High School (378 students), Houlton Elementary School (282 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.