Enrollment
180
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 231459000751
Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan — Skowhegan, ME
Federal NCES profile for Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 47/100.
👥 Class size 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 22
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: Rsu 54/Msad 54 · 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)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.4:1
vs 11.3:1 Maine avg
+1% 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
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
Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan reports 180 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 15.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 1% 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 28% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 54.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 60% above the Maine average and 5% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 300 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 31.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Rsu 54/Msad 54 spends $20,604 per pupil district-wide, below the Maine average of $23,827 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 33.6% from local sources (property taxes), 49.6% from the state, and 16.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan 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 | 11.4:1 | ▲ 1% | 11.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.4% | ▲ 60% | 34.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 180 | top 36% | — | — |
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
54.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 60% above the Maine average of 34.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.4:1
students per teacher
— 1% above state mean
Top 57% in Maine — lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
31.1%
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
$20,604
per pupil, district-wide
— below Maine avg of $23,827
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.6 FTE
Per 300 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
Enrollment 180 Top 36% in Maine — larger than 64% of 570 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 15.0
Students per teacher 11.4:1 +1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 54.4% +60% vs state
NCES ID 231459000751
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.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.6
Students per counselor 300:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 31.1%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rsu 54/Msad 54, which includes Margaret Chase Smith Sch - Skowhegan.
$20,604
Per student
-14%
vs Maine
Avg $23,827
+6%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 686
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Enrollment
- 473
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Enrollment
- 309
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Enrollment
- 267
- Students per teacher
- 8.8:1
- Enrollment
- 160
- Students per teacher
- 8.9:1
Similar elementary schools in Skowhegan
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) 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 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 a 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 11.4:1, which is 1% higher than the Maine average of 11.3:1 and 28% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
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%. The school serves a diverse student body 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 47/100 (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.