Machiasport Public Schools

Machiasport Public Schools is a small school district in Maine that serves the community of Machiasport, with only one school, Fort O'Brien School, which educates students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. Despite its small size, the school has consistently struggled, ranking among the lowest-performing elementary schools in the state over the past 15 years and earning a 0-out-of-5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Fort O'Brien School's student population is predominantly white (87.76%), with a significant percentage of Hispanic (10.2%) and Native American (2.04%) students, but no African American, Asian, or Pacific Islander students. The school also serves a high proportion of economically disadvantaged students, with over 51% of the student body eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Additionally, the school faces challenges with chronic absenteeism, with a rate of 29.2%, which is significantly higher than the state average.

While the small class sizes at Fort O'Brien School, with a student-teacher ratio of 8.1, may provide opportunities for more personalized attention, the school's consistently low performance suggests that small size alone does not guarantee better educational outcomes. To improve the quality of education for students in Machiasport Public Schools, the district and school leaders may need to address the root causes of the school's struggles, such as chronic absenteeism and the socioeconomic challenges faced by the student population.