Enrollment
495
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Oakland, ME
Messalonskee Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Messalonskee Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 231477900694
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Messalonskee Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Maine schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Oakland · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.7:1
- large classes for Maine
- 27.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Messalonskee Middle School has class sizes larger than 81% of Maine schools. Computed live against every Maine school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Messalonskee Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Oakland, ME.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 11.1:1 Maine avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.7%
vs 34.0% Maine avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Messalonskee Middle School compares with Maine and U.S. medians
What stands out at Messalonskee Middle School
Messalonskee Middle School is a large middle school in Oakland, Maine, enrolling 495 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Maine schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 495 puts it in the larger third of Maine schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 569 scored Maine schools.
Against 111 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #33.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 15/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data 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 James H Bean School (300 students) alongside Messalonskee Middle 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 Messalonskee Middle School compares
Messalonskee Middle 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 | 12.7:1 | ▲ 14% | 11.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.7% | ▼ 19% | 34.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 495 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
495
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 81% in Maine - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
29.3%
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
5
in-school suspensions + 35 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.1 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 92.3%
Two or More 2.8%
Hispanic or Latino 2.4%
African American 1.8%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: White at 92.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 14.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 14.6, Messalonskee Middle School is less mixed than the Maine school average of 20.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rsu 18, which includes Messalonskee Middle 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 Messalonskee Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Messalonskee High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| James H Bean School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| China Primary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Belgrade Central School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Williams Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Messalonskee Middle 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
- 300
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- 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 middle 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 (~495 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Messalonskee Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Messalonskee Middle 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 Messalonskee Middle School
How many students attend Messalonskee Middle School?
Messalonskee Middle School has 495 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Oakland, ME.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Messalonskee Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Messalonskee Middle School is 12.7:1, which is 14% higher than the Maine average of 11.1:1 and 19% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Messalonskee Middle School?
27.7% of students at Messalonskee Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Messalonskee Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Messalonskee Middle School is White at 92.3% of enrollment, in Oakland, ME.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Messalonskee Middle School?
Messalonskee Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Messalonskee Middle School rank among public schools in Oakland?
By Resource Investment Index, Messalonskee Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Oakland, 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 Oakland on the city page.
Is Messalonskee Middle School a good school?
Messalonskee Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% 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 Messalonskee Middle School, Rsu 18 also operates Messalonskee High School (695 students), James H Bean School (300 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.