Enrollment
180
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Dixfield, ME
T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School
Federal NCES profile for T W Kelly Dirigo 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 231483300927
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Maine schools.
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.8:1
- large classes for Maine
- 40.4%
- free-lunch eligible
- 180
- students enrolled
T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School has class sizes larger than 90% of Maine schools. Computed live against every Maine school reporting to NCES.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 11.1:1 Maine avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.4%
vs 34.0% Maine avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School compares with Maine and U.S. medians
What stands out at T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School
T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Dixfield, Maine, enrolling 180 students.
Class loads run heavy: 13.8:1 is larger than about 90% of Maine schools and 24% above the 11.1:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 40.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 180 students, its enrollment sits close to the Maine median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 569 scored Maine schools.
Against 114 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #31.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Rsu 56 also operates Dirigo Elementary School (324 students) and Dirigo High School (216 students) alongside T W Kelly Dirigo 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 T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School compares
T W Kelly Dirigo 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 | 13.8:1 | ▲ 24% | 11.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.4% | ▲ 19% | 34.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 180 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
180
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 90% in Maine - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.7%
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
$18,771
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maine avg of $20,083
Somewhat 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
6
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.2 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 90.6%
Two or More 5.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.3%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: White at 90.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.6, T W Kelly Dirigo 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 56, which includes T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School.
$18,771
Per student
-7%
vs Maine
Avg $20,083
+13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.5%
State 46.5%
Federal 16.0%
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.
How T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dirigo Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dirigo High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 324
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 216
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
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 (~180 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School's federal record.
- Compare T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Rsu 56'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 T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School
How many students attend T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School?
T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School has 180 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Dixfield, ME.
What is the student-teacher ratio at T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School is 13.8:1, which is 24% higher than the Maine average of 11.1:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School?
40.4% of students at T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School?
The largest demographic group at T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School is White at 90.6% of enrollment, in Dixfield, ME.
What is the Resource Investment Index for T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School?
T W Kelly Dirigo 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).
Is T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School a good school?
T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 56?
Besides T W Kelly Dirigo Middle School, Rsu 56 also operates Dirigo Elementary School (324 students) and Dirigo High School (216 students). See the Rsu 56 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.