Enrollment
300
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sidney, ME
James H Bean School
Federal NCES profile for James H Bean School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 231477900702
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James H Bean School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Maine schools.
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- large classes for Maine
- 20.4%
- free-lunch eligible
- 300
- students enrolled
James H Bean School has class sizes larger than 92% of Maine schools. Computed live against every Maine school reporting to NCES.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 11.1:1 Maine avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.4%
vs 34.0% Maine avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James H Bean School compares with Maine and U.S. medians
What stands out at James H Bean School
James H Bean School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Sidney, Maine, enrolling 300 students.
Class loads run heavy: 14.3:1 is larger than about 92% of Maine schools and 29% above the 11.1:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 20.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 300 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 130 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maine schools statewide, it ranks #106, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (96% of enrollment) (diversity index 7/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Rsu 18 spends $14,717 per pupil, 27% below the Maine average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Rsu 18 also operates Messalonskee High School (695 students) and Messalonskee Middle School (495 students) alongside James H Bean 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 James H Bean School compares
James H Bean 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 | 14.3:1 | ▲ 29% | 11.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.4% | ▼ 40% | 34.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 300 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
300
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 29% above state mean
Top 92% in Maine - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.0%
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
$14,717
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
2
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 96.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.0%
Asian 0.7%
Two or More 0.7%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: White at 96.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 7.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 7.2, James H Bean School is less mixed than the Maine school average of 20.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rsu 18, which includes James H Bean School.
$14,717
Per student
-27%
vs Maine
Avg $20,083
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.9%
State 37.4%
Federal 11.7%
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 James H Bean School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Messalonskee High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Messalonskee Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| China Primary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Belgrade Central School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Williams Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James H Bean School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 495
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 242
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 236
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 222
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
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 (~300 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James H Bean School's federal record.
- Compare James H Bean School against another school. Compare schools
- Rsu 18'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 James H Bean School
How many students attend James H Bean School?
James H Bean School has 300 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sidney, ME.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James H Bean School?
The student-teacher ratio at James H Bean School is 14.3:1, which is 29% higher than the Maine average of 11.1:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James H Bean School?
20.4% of students at James H Bean School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James H Bean School?
The largest demographic group at James H Bean School is White at 96.3% of enrollment, in Sidney, ME.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James H Bean School?
James H Bean School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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).
Is James H Bean School a good school?
James H Bean School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 18?
Besides James H Bean School, Rsu 18 also operates Messalonskee High School (695 students), Messalonskee Middle School (495 students), and China Primary School (242 students). See the Rsu 18 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.