William S. Cohen School

Summary:

William S. Cohen School is a highly-rated middle school located in Bangor, Maine, serving 364 students in grades 6-8 and part of the Bangor Public Schools district, which is ranked 39 out of 177 districts in the state.

William S. Cohen School consistently outperforms the state and district averages on standardized tests, with 76.49% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, 65.1% in math, and 69.67% in science - significantly higher than the Bangor district and the state of Maine. The school has been ranked among the top 10 middle schools in Maine for several years, placing it in the top 10% statewide. William S. Cohen School also has particularly strong performance among specific student subgroups, ranking 7th out of 83 middle schools for female students and 2nd out of 44 for white students.

Compared to nearby middle schools, William S. Cohen stands out. It has a lower chronic absenteeism rate of 17.3% and a student-teacher ratio of 12:1, both better than many surrounding schools. While the student population is predominantly white, the school is more diverse than its neighbors. Additionally, William S. Cohen has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at 29.95%, compared to higher rates at schools like James F. Doughty School (63.74%) and Leonard Middle School (48.69%).

Detail:

Public 6-8

304 Garland Street
Bangor, ME 04401

(207) 941-6230

District: Bangor Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
9^th of 96 Maine Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,856

Students who attend William S. Cohen School usually attend:

High:

Bangor High School

Feeder schools for William S. Cohen School:

Elementary:	Abraham Lincoln School
	Fruit Street School
	Mary Snow School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.5

Number of students: 364

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.2%

Two or more races:

6.6%

Hispanic:

4.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 28.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details William S. Cohen School ranks better than 90.6% of middle schools in Maine. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 88.17. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (80.2%), two or more races (6.6%), Hispanic (4.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 28.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at William S. Cohen School is 12.5. (See more...)

Compare William S. Cohen School employs 29.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at William S. Cohen School is $16,856.

Schooldigger Rankings:

William S. Cohen School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks William S. Cohen School 9^th of 96 Maine public middle schools. (See William S. Cohen School in the ranking list.)

Bangor Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Bangor Public Schools 39^th of 177 Maine school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for William S. Cohen School

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Rank History for all students at William S. Cohen School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ME State Percentile
2006	88.02	3^rd	51	94.1%
2007	83.36	5^th	51	90.2%
2009	86.38	5^th	56	91.1%
2010	86.01	6^th	60	90.0%
2011	79.00	10^th	58	82.8%
2012	74.90	15^th	86	82.6%
2013	74.18	16^th	87	81.6%
2015	87.68	14^th	97	85.6%
2016	88.76	8^th	85	90.6%
2017	93.78	4^th	87	95.4%
2018	93.40	4^th	85	95.3%
2019	95.96	4^th	86	95.3%
2021	83.65	10^th	92	89.1%
2022	85.82	9^th	93	90.3%
2023	88.17	9^th	96	90.6%

See the entire list of Maine Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at William S. Cohen School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	93.73	2^nd	37	94.6%

See the entire list of Best Maine Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at William S. Cohen School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	96.12	2^nd	64	96.9%
2021	72.90	12^th	66	81.8%

See the entire list of Best Maine Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at William S. Cohen School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	97.29	2^nd	78	97.4%
2021	90.35	7^th	83	91.6%

See the entire list of Best Maine Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at William S. Cohen School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	90.56	6^th	78	92.3%
2021	80.26	19^th	83	77.1%

See the entire list of Best Maine Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at William S. Cohen School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	91.83	2^nd	33	93.9%
2021	93.03	2^nd	44	95.5%

See the entire list of Best Maine Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Maine Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Maine Department of Education

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Enrollment information for William S. Cohen School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	433	433
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	456	456
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	504	504
1994	536	8	9	0	7	n/a	n/a	-34	526
1995	534	7	9	2	6	n/a	n/a	0	558
1996	534	7	9	2	6	n/a	n/a	0	558
1997	568	8	8	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	588
1998	589	8	7	0	4	n/a	n/a	0	608
1999	525	8	7	0	4	n/a	n/a	0	544
2000	492	8	11	2	4	n/a	n/a	0	517
2001	490	7	7	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	511
2002	507	8	6	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	525
2003	507	8	6	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	525
2004	464	17	10	7	5	n/a	n/a	0	503
2005	422	20	17	3	6	n/a	n/a	0	468
2006	394	17	13	7	4	n/a	n/a	0	435
2007	382	15	12	6	6	n/a	n/a	0	421
2008	346	14	13	5	3	n/a	n/a	0	381
2009	349	12	16	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	384
2010	350	14	13	7	4	n/a	n/a	0	388
2011	363	9	8	6	7	0	1	0	394
2012	364	7	11	5	4	1	2	0	394
2013	341	10	14	8	6	1	1	0	381
2014	352	11	16	9	5	0	5	0	398
2015	337	17	10	7	7	0	7	0	385
2016	366	22	14	9	11	0	7	0	429
2017	343	16	15	7	8	0	6	0	395
2018	372	18	14	8	9	1	14	0	436
2019	342	8	17	8	9	1	21	0	406
2020	329	8	19	10	7	0	27	0	400
2021	312	11	15	11	6	0	24	0	379
2022	304	10	14	14	7	0	27	0	376
2023	305	12	10	18	1	0	18	0	364
2024	292	15	14	16	3	0	24	0	364

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at William S. Cohen School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	433	28.0	15.4	n/a
1992	456	29.5	15.4	n/a
1993	504	26.0	19.4	17.5
1994	526	30.0	17.5	18.2
1995	558	33.0	16.9	17.6
1996	558	33.0	16.9	17.6
1997	588	33.0	17.8	22.8
1998	608	34.1	17.8	21.5
1999	544	34.1	16.0	24.6
2000	517	34.1	15.2	26.1
2001	511	34.1	15.0	24.1
2002	525	33.1	15.9	19.8
2003	525	33.1	15.9	19.8
2004	503	32.9	15.3	19.1
2005	468	37.8	12.4	23.1
2006	435	35.0	12.4	25.3
2007	421	36.6	11.5	27.6
2008	381	47.4	8.0	27
2009	384	31.5	12.2	31
2010	388	26.7	14.5	34.5
2011	394	31.6	12.4	37.1
2012	394	30.5	12.8	5.1
2013	381	32.9	11.5	37
2014	398	31.5	12.6	35.4
2015	385	31.0	12.4	35.1
2016	429	30.0	14.3	33.3
2017	395	30.1	13.1	30.6
2018	436	32.1	13.5	36.7
2019	406	31.1	13.0	33.7
2020	400	29.1	13.7	31
2021	379	31.1	12.1	29
2022	376	29.1	12.9	29.3
2023	364	30.1	12.0	29.9
2024	364	29.1	12.5	28.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio William S. Cohen School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	433	28.0	15.4	n/a
1992	456	29.5	15.4	n/a
1993	504	26.0	19.4	17.5
1994	526	30.0	17.5	18.2
1995	558	33.0	16.9	17.6
1996	558	33.0	16.9	17.6
1997	588	33.0	17.8	22.8
1998	608	34.1	17.8	21.5
1999	544	34.1	16.0	24.6
2000	517	34.1	15.2	26.1
2001	511	34.1	15.0	24.1
2002	525	33.1	15.9	19.8
2003	525	33.1	15.9	19.8
2004	503	32.9	15.3	19.1
2005	468	37.8	12.4	23.1
2006	435	35.0	12.4	25.3
2007	421	36.6	11.5	27.6
2008	381	47.4	8.0	27
2009	384	31.5	12.2	31
2010	388	26.7	14.5	34.5
2011	394	31.6	12.4	37.1
2012	394	30.5	12.8	5.1
2013	381	32.9	11.5	37
2014	398	31.5	12.6	35.4
2015	385	31.0	12.4	35.1
2016	429	30.0	14.3	33.3
2017	395	30.1	13.1	30.6
2018	436	32.1	13.5	36.7
2019	406	31.1	13.0	33.7
2020	400	29.1	13.7	31
2021	379	31.1	12.1	29
2022	376	29.1	12.9	29.3
2023	364	30.1	12.0	29.9
2024	364	29.1	12.5	28.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for William S. Cohen School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$12,693
2019	$13,398
2020	$13,450
2021	$16,218
2022	$15,611
2023	$16,856

Data source: Maine Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on William S. Cohen School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 4^th of 86 Middle schools	Ranks 9^th of 96 Middle schools	4.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
All Grades English Language Arts (William S. Cohen School)	81.1	90.5	9.5%
All Grades English Language Arts (Bangor Public Schools)	69.1	86.6	17.5%
All Grades English Language Arts (Maine)	55.9	83.8	27.9%
All Grades Mathematics (William S. Cohen School)	60.2	91	30.8%
All Grades Mathematics (Bangor Public Schools)	52.4	85.7	33.4%
All Grades Mathematics (Maine)	35.7	81.3	45.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	406	364	10.3%
African American	8	12	50%
American Indian	9	1	88.9%
Asian	17	10	41.2%
Hispanic	8	18	125%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	342	305	10.8%
Two or More Races	21	18	14.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	33.7%	29.9%	3.8%

Schools Near William S. Cohen School

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
William S. Cohen School	Public	6-8	304 Garland Street	Bangor	04401	Penobscot County	Bangor Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 941-6230	364	29	12.5	28.8%	292 (80.2%)	15 (4.1%)	16 (4.4%)	14 (3.8%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (6.6%)	88.2	9^th of 96 public middle schools	90.6%		85.8	9^th of 93 public middle schools	90.3%		76.5	65.1	69.7	$16,856
James F. Doughty School	Public	6-8	143 Fifth Street	Bangor	04401	Penobscot County	Bangor Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 941-6220	358	29	12.5	62.0%	291 (81.3%)	2 (0.6%)	25 (7.0%)	3 (0.8%)	10 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (7.5%)	50.5	40^th of 96 public middle schools	58.3%		35.9	68^th of 93 public middle schools	26.9%	28	68.0	40.5	46.7	$17,607
Orono Middle School	Public	6-8	10 Goodridge Drive	Orono	04473	Penobscot County	Regional School Unit 26	No	No	No	No	(207) 866-2350	145	15	9.6	31.7%	127 (87.6%)	1 (0.7%)	4 (2.8%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (7.6%)	88.2	10^th of 96 public middle schools	89.6%		78.3	16^th of 93 public middle schools	82.8%	6	88.2	59.0	79.6	$20,126
Reeds Brook Middle School	Public	6-8	28A Main Road South	Hampden	04444	Penobscot County	Regional School Unit 22	No	No	No	No	(207) 862-3540	335	24	13.9	19.1%	305 (91.0%)	2 (0.6%)	4 (1.2%)	4 (1.2%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	16 (4.8%)	94.4	5^th of 96 public middle schools	94.8%		90.8	6^th of 93 public middle schools	93.5%	1	85.0	68.7	71.2	$14,947
Hermon Middle School	Public	5-8	29 Billings Road	Hermon	04401	Penobscot County	Hermon Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 848-4070	329	25	13.1	26.1%	297 (90.3%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.4%)	3 (0.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.5%)	55.9	31^st of 96 public middle schools	67.7%		38.6	63^rd of 93 public middle schools	32.3%	32	67.9	47.6	40.5	$13,714
Holbrook School	Public	5-8	202 Kidder Hill Road	Holden	04429	Penobscot County	Regional School Unit 63/Maine School Admin District 63	No	No	No	No	(207) 843-7769	170	19	8.7	20.6%	161 (94.7%)	3 (1.8%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.4%)	65.3	20^th of 96 public middle schools	79.2%		66.3	28^th of 93 public middle schools	69.9%	8	69.7	51.9	45.3	$18,190
Leonard Middle School	Public	6-8	156 Oak Street	Old Town	04468	Penobscot County	Regional School Unit 34	No	No	No	No	(207) 827-3900	284	27	10.5	51.8%	247 (87.0%)	4 (1.4%)	10 (3.5%)	4 (1.4%)	5 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.9%)	29.4	74^th of 96 public middle schools	22.9%		36.1	67^th of 93 public middle schools	28.0%	7	54.9	40.2	40.0	$17,643
Samuel L Wagner Middle School	Public	5-8	19 Williams Way	Winterport	04496	Waldo County	Regional School Unit 22	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 223-4309	198	16	12.6	42.9%	187 (94.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	6 (3.0%)	51.9	36^th of 96 public middle schools	62.5%		47.4	55^th of 93 public middle schools	40.9%	19	67.3	47.2	35.0	$16,704
Caravel Middle School	Public	5-8	520 Irish Road	Carmel	04419	Penobscot County	Regional School Unit 87/Maine School Admin District 23	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 848-3615	226	15	15.4	44.7%	213 (94.2%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.1%)	43.3	55^th of 96 public middle schools	42.7%		61	36^th of 93 public middle schools	61.3%	19	61.9	45.4	37.2	$15,703
Bucksport Middle School	Public	5-8	100 Miles Lane	Bucksport	04416	Hancock County	Regional School Unit 25	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 469-6647	291	28	10.3	46.0%	270 (92.8%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (2.1%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.1%)	38.7	62^nd of 96 public middle schools	35.4%		37.7	64^th of 93 public middle schools	31.2%	2	65.9	37.3	31.6	$18,669

Frequently Asked Questions about William S. Cohen School

Is William S. Cohen School a good school?

Yes. William S. Cohen School ranks in the top 9.4% of Maine middle schools.

What district is William S. Cohen School in?

Bangor Public Schools

What high school do graduates of William S. Cohen School attend?

Students who attend William S. Cohen School usually go on to attend Bangor High School

How many students attend William S. Cohen School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 364 students attended William S. Cohen School.

What is the racial makeup of William S. Cohen School?

Students at William S. Cohen School are 80% White, 7% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 4% African American, 4% Asian.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Maine Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.