Regional School Unit 18

Summary:

Regional School Unit 18 in Maine is home to 8 schools, including 5 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school, serving students from the surrounding communities. The district is characterized by strong academic performance, with several standout schools consistently ranking among the top in the state.

Messalonskee High School is the top-performing school in the district, consistently ranking among the top 22-38 high schools in Maine over the past 3 years and earning 4 out of 5 stars from SchoolDigger. The school boasts a relatively high 4-year graduation rate of 85%. Messalonskee Middle School is also a high performer, ranking among the top 21-33 middle schools in the state. At the elementary level, James H Bean School stands out as the top-ranked elementary school in the district, ranking 20-41 out of 290 Maine elementary schools over the past 3 years and earning 4-5 out of 5 stars from SchoolDigger.

While the district overall performs well, there are some areas for potential improvement. Chronic absenteeism rates vary across the schools, with Messalonskee High School having the highest rate at 31.8%. Additionally, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch ranges from 24.7% at Messalonskee High School to 37.9% at Williams Elementary School, indicating differences in the socioeconomic backgrounds of the student populations. Overall, Regional School Unit 18 appears to be a strong district with several high-performing schools, but there are opportunities to address chronic absenteeism and ensure equitable access to resources across all schools.

District Detail

41 Heath Street
Oakland, ME 04963

(207) 465-7384

SchoolDigger Rank:
51^st of 177 Maine districts

See the 2023 Maine District rankings!

Grades served: PK, KG-12
Students: 2,586

Primary Schools: 5
Middle Schools: 2
High Schools: 1
Alternative Schools: 0

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				MEA English Language Arts (2023)	MEA Mathematics (2023)	MEA Science (2023)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MEA English Language Arts All Grades	MEA Mathematics All Grades	MEA Science All Grades	Total
Ralph M Atwood Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	19 Heath Street	Oakland	04963	Kennebec County	Regional School Unit 18	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 465-3411	217	18	12.2	37.8%	198 (91.2%)	3 (1.4%)	8 (3.7%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	4 (1.8%)								(n/a)				$22,031
Messalonskee Middle School	Public	6-8	33 School Bus Drive	Oakland	04963	Kennebec County	Regional School Unit 18	No	No	No	No	(207) 465-2167	468	38	12.4	29.9%	438 (93.6%)	4 (0.9%)	11 (2.4%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (2.4%)	64.4	21^st of 96 public middle schools	78.1%		63.9	33^rd of 93 public middle schools	64.5%	12	74.2	47.6	43.0	$17,419
Williams Elementary School	Public	3-5	55 Pleasant Street	Oakland	04963	Kennebec County	Regional School Unit 18	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 465-2965	212	17	12.2	40.6%	194 (91.5%)	4 (1.9%)	5 (2.4%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.3%)	68.6	100^th of 290 public elementary schools	65.5%		74.6	48^th of 210 public elementary schools	77.1%	52	68.8	62.1	34.1	$17,014
Messalonskee High School	Public	9-12	131 Messalonskee High Drive	Oakland	04963	Kennebec County	Regional School Unit 18	No	No	No	No	(207) 465-7381	716	48	14.9	25.6%	668 (93.3%)	3 (0.4%)	18 (2.5%)	5 (0.7%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (2.7%)	65.2	22^nd of 123 public high schools	82.1%		61.8	38^th of 98 public high schools	61.2%	16	65.4	55.4	45.4	$14,950
Belgrade Central School	Public	PK, KG-5	158 Depot Road	Belgrade	04917	Kennebec County	Regional School Unit 18	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 495-2321	238	18	12.9	30.3%	225 (94.5%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.4%)	80.7	58^th of 290 public elementary schools	80.0%		84.2	21^st of 210 public elementary schools	90.0%	37	81.7	67.5	20.5	$16,270
James H Bean School	Public	PK, KG-5	2896 Middle Road	Sidney	04330	Kennebec County	Regional School Unit 18	No	No	No	No	(207) 547-3395	297	22	13.2	29.6%	284 (95.6%)	5 (1.7%)	5 (1.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	85.9	41^st of 290 public elementary schools	85.9%		78.6	38^th of 210 public elementary schools	81.9%	3	77.2	75.6	33.3	$14,790
China Primary School	Public	PK, KG-4	763 Lakeview Drive	China	04926	Kennebec County	Regional School Unit 18	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 445-1550	256	21	12.1	30.5%	238 (93.0%)	3 (1.2%)	5 (2.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.7%)	57	139^th of 290 public elementary schools	52.1%		69.9	56^th of 210 public elementary schools	73.3%	83	57.7	64.6		$17,293
China Middle School	Public	5-8	773 Lakeview Drive	China	04926	Kennebec County	Regional School Unit 18	No	No	No	No	(207) 445-1500	182	16	11.7	40.7%	167 (91.8%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.9%)	44.4	52^nd of 96 public middle schools	45.8%		54.8	45^th of 93 public middle schools	51.6%	7	60.9	45.8	40.6	$16,111

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Regional School Unit 12	4.61 mi	8	88^th
Vassalboro Public Schools	6.26 mi	1	148^th
Regional School Unit 49/Maine School Admin District 49	7.6 mi	6	133^rd
Winslow Schools	8.85 mi	3	69^th
Waterville Public Schools	9.05 mi	5	126^th

Regional School Unit 18

District Detail

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