Enrollment
194
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Oakland, ME
Ralph M Atwood Primary School
Federal NCES profile for Ralph M Atwood Primary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 231477901023
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ralph M Atwood Primary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maine median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Oakland · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.4:1
- students per teacher
- 27.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Ralph M Atwood Primary School has class sizes near the Maine median. Computed live against every Maine school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ralph M Atwood Primary School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Oakland, ME.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.4:1
vs 11.1:1 Maine avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.2%
vs 34.0% Maine avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ralph M Atwood Primary School compares with Maine and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ralph M Atwood Primary School
Ralph M Atwood Primary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Oakland, Maine, enrolling 194 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 11.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Maine schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 194 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maine median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 569 scored Maine schools.
Among 132 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maine schools statewide, it ranks #120, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.0% 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 Messalonskee Middle School (495 students) alongside Ralph M Atwood Primary 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 Ralph M Atwood Primary School compares
Ralph M Atwood Primary 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 | 11.4:1 | ▲ 3% | 11.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.2% | ▼ 20% | 34.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 194 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.4:1
Leaner classes than 80% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
194
Bigger than 19% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
11.4:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 61% in Maine - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
33.0%
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
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 91.2%
Hispanic or Latino 3.1%
African American 2.6%
Two or More 1.5%
Asian 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 91.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.6, Ralph M Atwood Primary School is less mixed than the Maine school average of 20.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rsu 18, which includes Ralph M Atwood Primary 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 Ralph M Atwood Primary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Messalonskee High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Messalonskee Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| James H Bean School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| China Primary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Belgrade Central School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ralph M Atwood Primary 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
- 495
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- 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
Similar other 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 (~194 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ralph M Atwood Primary School's federal record.
- Compare Ralph M Atwood Primary 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 Ralph M Atwood Primary School
How many students attend Ralph M Atwood Primary School?
Ralph M Atwood Primary School has 194 students enrolled. It is a public school in Oakland, ME.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ralph M Atwood Primary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ralph M Atwood Primary School is 11.4:1, which is 3% higher than the Maine average of 11.1:1 and 27% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ralph M Atwood Primary School?
27.2% of students at Ralph M Atwood Primary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ralph M Atwood Primary School?
The largest demographic group at Ralph M Atwood Primary School is White at 91.2% of enrollment, in Oakland, ME.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ralph M Atwood Primary School?
Ralph M Atwood Primary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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 Ralph M Atwood Primary School rank among public schools in Oakland?
By Resource Investment Index, Ralph M Atwood Primary School ranks #4 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 Ralph M Atwood Primary School a good school?
Ralph M Atwood Primary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maine median. 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 Ralph M Atwood Primary School, Rsu 18 also operates Messalonskee High School (695 students), Messalonskee Middle School (495 students), and James H Bean School (300 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.