Enrollment
311
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 231478700530
South School — Rockland, ME
Federal NCES profile for South School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 44/100.
👥 Class size 68
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 0
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
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)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8:1
vs 11.3:1 Maine avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.8%
vs 34.0% Maine avg
+55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South School 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
South School reports 311 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 33.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 29% 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 15.9:1, it is 50% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 52.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 55% above the Maine average and 2% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 311 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 45.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Rsu 13 spends $23,992 per pupil district-wide, above the Maine average of $23,827 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 66.1% from local sources (property taxes), 22.7% from the state, and 11.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 South School 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 | 8:1 | ▼ 29% | 11.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.8% | ▲ 55% | 34.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 311 | top 64% | — | — |
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
52.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 55% 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
8:1
students per teacher
— 29% below state mean
Top 10% in Maine — lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
45.0%
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
$23,992
per pupil, district-wide
— above Maine avg of $23,827
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 311 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 311 Top 64% in Maine — larger than 36% of 570 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 33.0
Students per teacher 8:1 -29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 52.8% +55% vs state
NCES ID 231478700530
Student demographics
White 87.5%
Hispanic or Latino 5.5%
Two or More 2.9%
African American 2.3%
Asian 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 87.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 311:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 45.0%
In-school suspensions 9
Out-of-school suspensions 18
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rsu 13, which includes South School.
$23,992
Per student
+1%
vs Maine
Avg $23,827
+23%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 66.1%
State 22.7%
Federal 11.2%
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
- 494
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Enrollment
- 307
- Students per teacher
- 9.4:1
- Enrollment
- 164
- Students per teacher
- 8.1:1
- Enrollment
- 158
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Enrollment
- 74
- Students per teacher
- 8:1
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 South School
How many students attend South School?
South School has 311 students enrolled. It is a other school in Rockland, ME.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South School?
The student-teacher ratio at South School is 8:1, which is 29% lower than the Maine average of 11.3:1 and 50% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South School?
52.8% of students at South School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South School?
The largest demographic group at South School is White at 87.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in Rockland, ME.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South School?
South School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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.