Enrollment
1,115
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Sanford, ME
Sanford High School
Federal NCES profile for Sanford High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 231050000316
👥 S:T ratio 41
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sanford High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Maine schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Maine.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Sanford · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.7:1
- large classes for Maine
- 27.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Sanford High School has class sizes larger than 94% of Maine schools. Computed live against every Maine school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sanford High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Sanford, ME.
School address
District: Sanford Public Schools · Maine
NCES ID 231050000316 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
76.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 11.1:1 Maine avg
+32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.7%
vs 34.0% Maine avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sanford High School compares with Maine and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sanford High School
Sanford High School is a large high school in Sanford, Maine, enrolling 1,115 students.
Class loads run heavy: 14.7:1 is larger than about 94% of Maine schools and 32% above the 11.1:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Maine, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,115 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 569 scored Maine schools.
Among 25 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maine schools statewide, it ranks #19, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 248 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Sanford Public Schools also operates Sanford Middle School (920 students) and Carl J Lamb School (436 students) alongside Sanford High 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 Sanford High School compares
Sanford High 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 | 14.7:1 | ▲ 32% | 11.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.7% | ▼ 19% | 34.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,115 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,115
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
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
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 32% above state mean
Top 94% in Maine - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
38.7%
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
$17,120
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maine avg of $20,083
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors4.5 FTE
Per 248 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
116
in-school suspensions + 106 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 expulsions.
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 84.6%
Two or More 5.5%
Hispanic or Latino 4.0%
African American 3.6%
Asian 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 84.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.8, Sanford High School is more mixed than the Maine school average of 20.6.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sanford Public Schools, which includes Sanford High School.
$17,120
Per student
-15%
vs Maine
Avg $20,083
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.3%
State 63.0%
Federal 13.7%
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 Sanford High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carl J Lamb School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Margaret Chase Smith | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sanford Pride Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sanford High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 920
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 436
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 396
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 383
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar high 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 (~1,115 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sanford High School's federal record.
- Compare Sanford High School against another school. Compare schools
- Sanford Public Schools'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 Sanford High School
How many students attend Sanford High School?
Sanford High School has 1,115 students enrolled. It is a high school in Sanford, ME.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sanford High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sanford High School is 14.7:1, which is 32% higher than the Maine average of 11.1:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sanford High School?
27.7% of students at Sanford High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sanford High School?
The largest demographic group at Sanford High School is White at 84.6% of enrollment, in Sanford, ME.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sanford High School?
Sanford High School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Sanford High School rank among public schools in Sanford?
By Resource Investment Index, Sanford High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Sanford, 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 Sanford on the city page.
Is Sanford High School a good school?
Sanford High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Maine schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Maine. 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 Sanford Public Schools?
Besides Sanford High School, Sanford Public Schools also operates Sanford Middle School (920 students), Carl J Lamb School (436 students), and Margaret Chase Smith (396 students). See the Sanford Public Schools 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.