Regional School Unit 42/Maine School Admin District 42

Regional School Unit 42/Maine School Admin District 42 is a small school district in northern Maine that serves two schools: Fort Street School, an elementary school, and Central Aroostook Junior-Senior High School. While both schools have relatively small enrollments, they exhibit some notable differences in their performance and student demographics.

Central Aroostook Junior-Senior High School stands out with a strong 85.7% four-year graduation rate, indicating that the majority of its students are successfully completing their high school education. In contrast, Fort Street School has seen a concerning decline in its state-wide ranking, dropping from 112th out of 228 Maine elementary schools in 2020-2021 to 215th out of 290 in 2022-2023. This suggests the elementary school may be underperforming compared to its peers across the state.

The racial makeup of the two schools also differs significantly. Fort Street School has a more diverse student population, with 89.2% white students and smaller percentages of other races, while Central Aroostook Junior-Senior High School has a predominantly white student body at 95.93%. Additionally, Fort Street School serves a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students, with 35.8% of its students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, compared to 30.81% at Central Aroostook Junior-Senior High School.