2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 230849000232
Mt Desert Elementary School — Northeast Harbor, ME
Federal NCES profile for Mt Desert Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 61/100.
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 →
The verdict
Mt Desert Elementary School earns a C+ Resource Investment Index (61/100), with class sizes smaller than 95% of Maine schools.
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.
Enrollment
161
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7:1
vs 11.3:1 Maine avg
▲-38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.5%
vs 34.0% Maine avg
▲-69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mt Desert Elementary School compares with Maine and U.S. medians
Smaller classes than state median
11.3:1 Maine median15.7:1 U.S. median
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
Mt Desert Elementary School reports 161 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 22.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 38% below the Maine state mean of 11.3:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 55% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 10.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 69% below the Maine average and 80% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 23.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Mount Desert Public Schools spends $31,179 per pupil district-wide, above the Maine average of $20,083 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 84.4% from local sources (property taxes), 12.5% from the state, and 3.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (C+), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
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
7:1
▼ 38%
11.3:1
15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible
10.5%
▼ 69%
34.0%
51.8%
Enrollment
161
top 30%
—
—
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
7Among the smallest classessmaller classes than 97% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
161larger than 16% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 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
10.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 69% 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
7:1
students per teacher
— 38% below state mean
Top 5% in Maine — lower ratio than 95% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
23.6%
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
$31,179
per pupil, district-wide
— above Maine avg of $20,083
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment161 Top 30% in Maine — larger than 70% of 570 state schools
Teachers (FTE)22.0
Students per teacher 7:1 -38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 10.5% -69% vs state
NCES ID230849000232
Student demographics
White
85.7% · ≈138 students
Two or More
9.3% · ≈15 students
Hispanic or Latino
5.0% · ≈8 students
White85.7%
Two or More9.3%
Hispanic or Latino5.0%
Largest group: White at 85.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talentedYes
Counselors (FTE)0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent23.6%
In-school suspensions4
Out-of-school suspensions0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mount Desert Public Schools, which includes Mt Desert Elementary School.
$31,179
Per student
+55%
vs Maine
Avg $20,083
+88%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local84.4%
State12.5%
Federal3.0%
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.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Frequently asked questions about Mt Desert Elementary School
How many students attend Mt Desert Elementary School?
Mt Desert Elementary School has 161 students enrolled. It is a other school in Northeast Harbor, ME.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mt Desert Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mt Desert Elementary School is 7:1, which is 38% lower than the Maine average of 11.3:1 and 55% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mt Desert Elementary School?
10.5% of students at Mt Desert Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mt Desert Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Mt Desert Elementary School is White at 85.7%. The school serves a student body in Northeast Harbor, ME.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mt Desert Elementary School?
Mt Desert Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (C+) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is Mt Desert Elementary School a good school?
Mt Desert Elementary School earns a C+ Resource Investment Index (61/100), with class sizes smaller than 95% of Maine schools. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.