Enrollment
180
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Skowhegan, ME
Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan
Federal NCES profile for Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 231459000751
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Maine schools.
- #2 of 7
- public schools in Skowhegan · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12:1
- large classes for Maine
- 54.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan has class sizes larger than 70% of Maine schools. Computed live against every Maine school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Skowhegan, ME.
School address
District: Rsu 54/Msad 54 · Maine
NCES ID 231459000751 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 11.1:1 Maine avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.4%
vs 34.0% Maine avg
+60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan compares with Maine and U.S. medians
What stands out at Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan
Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Skowhegan, Maine, enrolling 180 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12:1 puts it in the larger third of Maine schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 54.4% of students qualify for free meals, 60% above the Maine average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 180 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maine median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 569 scored Maine schools.
Against 55 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #20.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 300 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Skowhegan's elementary schools, it stands alongside Bloomfield Elementary School (267 students): Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12:1 vs 8.6:1).
Rsu 54/Msad 54 also operates Skowhegan Area High School (686 students) and Skowhegan Area Middle School (473 students) alongside Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan.
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 Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan compares
Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan on the metrics families compare, against Maine and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maine | Maine avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12:1 | ▲ 8% | 11.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.4% | ▲ 60% | 34.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 180 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
180
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% 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
12:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 70% in Maine - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.1%
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
$19,625
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maine avg of $20,083
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.6 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 91.1%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
Two or More 2.2%
African American 1.1%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 91.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.8, Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan is less mixed than the Maine school average of 20.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rsu 54/Msad 54, which includes Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan.
$19,625
Per student
-2%
vs Maine
Avg $20,083
+18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.6%
State 49.6%
Federal 16.8%
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 Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skowhegan Area High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Skowhegan Area Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mill Stream Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bloomfield Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Canaan Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 686
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 473
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 309
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 267
- Students per teacher
- 8.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 160
- Students per teacher
- 7.6:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar elementary schools in Skowhegan
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~180 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan's federal record.
- Compare Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan against another school. Compare schools
- Rsu 54/Msad 54'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 Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan
How many students attend Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan?
Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan has 180 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Skowhegan, ME.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan?
The student-teacher ratio at Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan is 12:1, which is 8% higher than the Maine average of 11.1:1 and 24% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan?
54.4% of students at Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan?
The largest demographic group at Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan is White at 91.1% of enrollment, in Skowhegan, ME.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan?
Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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).
How does Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan rank among public schools in Skowhegan?
By Resource Investment Index, Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Skowhegan, 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 Skowhegan on the city page.
Is Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan a good school?
Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 54/Msad 54?
Besides Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan, Rsu 54/Msad 54 also operates Skowhegan Area High School (686 students), Skowhegan Area Middle School (473 students), and Mill Stream Elementary School (309 students). See the Rsu 54/Msad 54 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.