Enrollment
179
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 231233000716
James Otis Kaler Elementary School — South Portland, ME
Federal NCES profile for James Otis Kaler Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 45/100.
👥 Class size 54
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 64
📋 Attendance 32
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: South Portland Public Schools · Maine
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.6:1
vs 11.3:1 Maine avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.2%
vs 34.0% Maine avg
-2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James Otis Kaler Elementary School compares with Maine and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
James Otis Kaler Elementary School reports 179 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 19.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 3% above the Maine state mean of 11.3:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 27% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 33.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 2% below the Maine average and 36% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 179 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 27.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding South Portland Public Schools spends $16,890 per pupil district-wide, below the Maine average of $23,827 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 77.2% from local sources (property taxes), 20.6% from the state, and 2.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How James Otis Kaler Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Maine state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Maine | Maine avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.6:1 | ▲ 3% | 11.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.2% | ▼ 2% | 34.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 179 | top 35% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
33.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 2% 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
11.6:1
students per teacher
— 3% above state mean
Top 61% in Maine — lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
27.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,890
per pupil, district-wide
— below Maine avg of $23,827
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 179 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 179 Top 35% in Maine — larger than 65% of 570 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 19.0
Students per teacher 11.6:1 +3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 33.2% -2% vs state
NCES ID 231233000716
Student demographics
White 48.6%
African American 22.3%
Hispanic or Latino 16.2%
Two or More 6.7%
Asian 5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 48.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 179:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 27.4%
In-school suspensions 3
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Portland Public Schools, which includes James Otis Kaler Elementary School.
$16,890
Per student
-29%
vs Maine
Avg $23,827
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 77.2%
State 20.6%
Federal 2.2%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 928
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Enrollment
- 424
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Enrollment
- 388
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Enrollment
- 302
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Enrollment
- 213
- Students per teacher
- 9.4:1
Similar other schools in South Portland
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about James Otis Kaler Elementary School
How many students attend James Otis Kaler Elementary School?
James Otis Kaler Elementary School has 179 students enrolled. It is a other school in South Portland, ME.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James Otis Kaler Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at James Otis Kaler Elementary School is 11.6:1, which is 3% higher than the Maine average of 11.3:1 and 27% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James Otis Kaler Elementary School?
33.2% of students at James Otis Kaler Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James Otis Kaler Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at James Otis Kaler Elementary School is White at 48.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in South Portland, ME.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James Otis Kaler Elementary School?
James Otis Kaler Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.