Enrollment
372
Maine · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Bangor, ME
William S. Cohen School
Federal NCES profile for William S. Cohen School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 230282000054
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
William S. Cohen School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Maine schools.
- #8 of 10
- public schools in Bangor · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.4:1
- large classes for Maine
- 25.5%
- free-lunch eligible
William S. Cohen School has class sizes larger than 78% of Maine schools. Computed live against every Maine school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, William S. Cohen School ranks #8 of 10 public schools in Bangor, ME.
School address
District: Bangor Public Schools · Maine
NCES ID 230282000054 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 11.1:1 Maine avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.5%
vs 34.0% Maine avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How William S. Cohen School compares with Maine and U.S. medians
What stands out at William S. Cohen School
William S. Cohen School is a mid-sized middle school in Bangor, Maine, enrolling 372 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Maine schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 25.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 372 puts it in the larger third of Maine schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 569 scored Maine schools.
Among 140 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maine schools statewide, it ranks #108, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and African American (8%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 372 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Bangor's middle schools, it stands alongside James F. Doughty School (346 students): William S. Cohen School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.4:1 vs 11.5:1).
Bangor Public Schools also operates Bangor High School (1,068 students) and James F. Doughty School (346 students) alongside William S. Cohen 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 William S. Cohen School compares
William S. Cohen 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 | 12.4:1 | ▲ 12% | 11.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.5% | ▼ 25% | 34.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 372 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
372
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 78% in Maine - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
21.2%
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
$16,534
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maine avg of $20,083
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 372 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 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 77.4%
African American 7.8%
Hispanic or Latino 7.0%
Asian 5.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.2%
Two or More 0.5%
Largest group: White at 77.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.7, William S. Cohen School is more mixed than the Maine school average of 20.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bangor Public Schools, which includes William S. Cohen School.
$16,534
Per student
-18%
vs Maine
Avg $20,083
0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.4%
State 44.5%
Federal 10.1%
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 William S. Cohen School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangor High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| James F. Doughty School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fruit Street School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Downeast School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mary Snow School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to William S. Cohen School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,068
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 346
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 310
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 288
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 266
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar middle schools in Bangor
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~372 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on William S. Cohen School's federal record.
- Compare William S. Cohen School against another school. Compare schools
- Bangor 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 William S. Cohen School
How many students attend William S. Cohen School?
William S. Cohen School has 372 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Bangor, ME.
What is the student-teacher ratio at William S. Cohen School?
The student-teacher ratio at William S. Cohen School is 12.4:1, which is 12% higher than the Maine average of 11.1:1 and 21% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at William S. Cohen School?
25.5% of students at William S. Cohen School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maine average of 34.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of William S. Cohen School?
The largest demographic group at William S. Cohen School is White at 77.4% of enrollment, in Bangor, ME.
What is the Resource Investment Index for William S. Cohen School?
William S. Cohen School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does William S. Cohen School rank among public schools in Bangor?
By Resource Investment Index, William S. Cohen School ranks #8 of 10 public schools in Bangor, 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 Bangor on the city page.
Is William S. Cohen School a good school?
William S. Cohen School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Bangor Public Schools?
Besides William S. Cohen School, Bangor Public Schools also operates Bangor High School (1,068 students), James F. Doughty School (346 students), and Fruit Street School (310 students). See the Bangor 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.