Public schools in Maine

The NCES directory lists 589 public schools operating in Maine in 2024-25; 553 of them reported 164,297 students, averaging 10.9 students per teacher, tied for 49th with North Dakota of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts (the mean of its schools' ratios); Tennessee did not. Its largest district is Portland Public Schools, with 6,548 students in 2024-25.

NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23 · method

Schools553346 elementary, 82 middle, 113 high, 12 other
Students164,2970.3% of U.S. public-school students
Students per teacher10.9U.S. 15.3

Maine has fewer students per teacher than the U.S. average

Maine ranks 49th of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts, counting from the most students per teacher; below, it is shown with the states ranked just above and below it. The full ranking of all 51 is on the states page.

  1. New York11.4
  2. Vermont11.1
  3. District of Columbia11.0
  4. New Hampshire11.0
  5. Wyoming11.0
  6. Maine10.9
  7. North Dakota10.9

Eight in ten larger Maine districts spent between $14,797 and $21,356 per student

Among the 63 Maine districts with at least 1,000 students, one in ten spent less than $14,797 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 and one in ten spent more than $21,356; the median was $17,843. Each tick below is one district: the spread shows how far apart the state's districts are, which a statewide average hides.

Current spending per student, Maine districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2363 values from $13,263 to $24,422; ; state median $17,843.$14,797$21,356the middle eight in ten$10k$20k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $17,843
Current spending per student, Maine districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2363 values from $13,263 to $24,422; ; state median $17,843.$14,797$21,356the middle eight in ten$10k$20k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $17,843
Current spending per student, Maine districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2363 values from $13,263 to $24,422; ; state median $17,843.$14,797$21,356the middle eight in ten$10k$20k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $17,843
Current spending per student, Maine districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-2363 values from $13,263 to $24,422; ; state median $17,843.$14,797$21,356the middle eight in ten$10k$20k$30kcurrent spending per studentstate median $17,843

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: mean of school ratios from 3 to 99, schools open that year; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures over fall membership, districts with at least 1,000 students.

State test results, 2022-23

In 2022-23, 64.8% of the Maine students tested met the state's reading standard and 48.8% its math standard. Maine writes its own tests and sets its own standard, so these compare Maine's districts and schools with each other, not with other states; each district and school page gives its own results beside these. Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 87.3% of 13,941 students.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2022-23 and four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students.

In the Maine almanac

  1. 01Every school district

    Directory, 2024-25

  2. 02Largest schools

    Largest: Lewiston High School, 1,709 students (By 2024-25 enrollment)

  3. 03Fewest students per teacher

    Fewest: Pemetic Elementary School, 5.5 students per teacher (Schools, 2024-25)

  4. 04Highest-spending districts

    Highest: Rsu 23, $26,788 per student (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  5. 05Teacher salary spending by district

    Highest: Cape Elizabeth Public Schools, $90,864 of salary spending per teacher (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  6. 06Chronic absenteeism

    Lowest: Durham Community School, 1.1% chronically absent (EDFacts 2022-23)

  7. 07Schools by resource index

    Highest index: Durham Community School, 67 of 100 (CCD and CRDC)

  8. 08Districts by resource index

    Highest index: Rsu 87/Msad 23, 62.3 of 100 on average (CCD and CRDC)

Largest districts in Maine

  1. Portland Public Schools6,548
  2. Lewiston Public Schools5,312
  3. Bangor Public Schools3,436
  4. Rsu 06/Msad 063,295
  5. Sanford Public Schools3,250
  6. Auburn Public Schools3,241
  7. Rsu 143,050
  8. Rsu 17/Msad 173,048

Every Maine school district, with a find box →

Source: Largest districts: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25, students in the district's schools open that year.

Cities with the most public schools

  1. Portland6,888 students15 schools
  2. Bangor3,436 students10 schools
  3. Lewiston5,562 students8 schools
  4. Augusta2,840 students8 schools
  5. Auburn3,241 students8 schools
  6. South Portland2,025 students7 schools
  7. Skowhegan1,932 students7 schools
  8. Scarborough3,369 students7 schools
  9. Westbrook2,348 students5 schools
  10. Saco1,942 students5 schools
  11. Gorham2,830 students5 schools
  12. Biddeford2,433 students5 schools

All cities →

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: a school counts under the city in its mailing address, so a large city's count takes in suburbs that share its postal name.

Questions about Maine's public schools

  1. How many public schools are in Maine?
    The NCES directory lists 589 operating in 2024-25; 553 of them reported students: 346 elementary, 82 middle, 113 high and 12 other, enrolling 164,297 students (NCES Common Core of Data).
  2. What is the average student-teacher ratio in Maine?
    10.9 students per full-time teacher in 2024-25, against 15.3 for the U.S.; the mean of school ratios for schools open that year.
  3. What is the largest school district in Maine?
    Portland Public Schools, with 6,548 students in its schools in 2024-25 (NCES Common Core of Data).
  4. How much does Maine spend per public-school student?
    $18,487 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, summed over its districts (NCES F-33).

Sources

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership and staff files · 2024-25

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District membership and spending · FY 2022-23

Compiled from official source data by .