Biddeford High School

Summary:

Biddeford High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Biddeford, Maine, with a student population of 712. The school is part of the Biddeford Public Schools district, which is ranked 146 out of 177 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Biddeford High School faces several challenges compared to nearby schools. The school has a significantly higher percentage of White students (80.9%) than the more diverse student populations of schools like South Portland High School and Scarborough High School. Biddeford High School's 4-year graduation rate has improved from 80.5% in 2020-2021 to 84.0% in 2022-2023, but it still lags behind some of the higher-performing nearby schools. The school also has a concerning chronic absenteeism rate of 45.7% in 2021-2022, significantly higher than the state average and most of the nearby schools.

Academically, Biddeford High School's proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are lower than the state and district averages, indicating performance challenges. Additionally, the school has a relatively high percentage of students (around 49%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting a higher proportion of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. Addressing these issues and learning from the practices of higher-performing schools in the area, such as Gorham High School and Wells High School, could help Biddeford High School improve its overall performance and provide a better educational experience for its students.

Detail:

Public 8-12

20 Maplewood Avenue
Biddeford, ME 04005

(207) 282-1596

District: Biddeford Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
106^th of 123 Maine High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,485

Feeder schools for Biddeford High School:

Elementary:	Biddeford Intermediate School
	Biddeford Primary School
	John F Kennedy Memorial School
Middle:	Biddeford Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.2

Number of students: 901

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.6%

African American:

11.3%

Hispanic:

6.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 58.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Biddeford High School ranks worse than 86.2% of high schools in Maine. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 19.74. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Biddeford High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

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 (75.6%), African American (11.3%), Hispanic (6.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 58.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Biddeford High School is 14.2. (See more...)

Compare Biddeford High School employs 63.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Biddeford High School is $17,485.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Biddeford High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Biddeford High School 106^th of 123 Maine public high schools. (See Biddeford High School in the ranking list.)

Biddeford Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Biddeford Public Schools 146^th of 177 Maine school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Biddeford High School

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Rank History for all students at Biddeford High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	ME State Percentile
2010	32.49	74^th	103	28.2%
2011	6.83	101^st	105	3.8%
2012	39.00	61^st	107	43.0%
2013	33.63	78^th	106	26.4%
2015	13.17	69^th	98	29.6%
2016	18.54	98^th	111	11.7%
2017	29.51	82^nd	111	26.1%
2018	39.48	67^th	114	41.2%
2019	36.72	65^th	114	43.0%
2021	51.32	65^th	82	20.7%
2022	45.46	66^th	98	32.7%
2023	19.74	106^th	123	13.8%

See the entire list of Maine High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Biddeford High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	29.51	54^th	76	28.9%

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

Rank History for Female students at Biddeford High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	20.27	78^th	92	15.2%
2021	24.50	19^th	22	13.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at Biddeford High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	44.46	45^th	92	51.1%
2021	66.17	11^th	22	50.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Biddeford High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	32.00	12^th	21	42.9%
2021	61.73	2^nd	5	60.0%

See the entire list of Best Maine High 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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Biddeford High 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	941	941
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	917	917
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	920	920
1994	917	3	11	2	4	n/a	n/a	0	937
1995	864	5	18	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	887
1996	864	5	18	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	887
1997	859	4	16	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	883
1998	860	2	25	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	890
1999	856	0	22	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	878
2000	851	0	18	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	870
2001	860	1	10	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	875
2002	935	11	18	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	967
2003	935	11	18	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	967
2004	944	11	5	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	965
2005	906	13	1	4	16	n/a	n/a	0	940
2006	889	18	17	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	930
2007	902	20	14	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	952
2008	894	23	16	14	2	n/a	n/a	0	949
2009	885	17	16	17	1	n/a	n/a	0	936
2010	851	16	18	14	4	n/a	n/a	0	903
2011	795	10	20	17	2	0	8	0	852
2012	777	9	33	15	2	0	9	0	845
2013	738	4	31	13	4	0	14	0	804
2014	711	9	24	17	5	0	21	0	787
2015	714	13	21	25	4	0	24	0	801
2016	686	11	18	27	4	0	31	0	777
2017	668	24	23	31	3	0	37	0	786
2018	641	38	21	33	4	0	37	0	774
2019	647	27	21	36	5	0	33	0	769
2020	634	27	20	41	6	0	39	0	767
2021	584	49	23	43	6	0	33	0	738
2022	597	47	23	38	3	0	30	0	738
2023	576	42	18	43	4	0	29	0	712
2024	681	102	17	59	6	0	36	0	901

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 Biddeford High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	941	71.0	13.2	n/a
1992	917	67.0	13.6	n/a
1993	920	61.0	15.1	20.7
1994	937	57.6	16.3	13
1995	887	59.0	15.0	14.3
1996	887	59.0	15.0	14.3
1997	883	55.0	16.1	13.5
1998	890	55.0	16.2	13.5
1999	878	55.1	15.9	18.6
2000	870	55.0	15.8	19.4
2001	875	56.1	15.6	15.2
2002	967	56.8	17.0	17.3
2003	967	56.8	17.0	17.3
2004	965	56.6	17.0	18.3
2005	940	59.2	15.9	21
2006	930	60.6	15.3	23
2007	952	61.8	15.4	23.6
2008	949	80.8	11.7	34.9
2009	936	60.9	14.9	32.1
2010	903	62.2	14.5	38.2
2011	852	60.5	14.0	41.5
2012	845	55.8	15.1	4
2013	804	58.1	13.8	46.1
2014	787	56.4	13.9	49
2015	801	54.0	14.8	48.4
2016	777	56.0	13.8	44.9
2017	786	55.0	14.2	49.5
2018	774	54.2	14.2	50.1
2019	769	51.5	14.9	51.2
2020	767	50.8	15.0	42.6
2021	738	48.9	15.0	48.5
2022	738	52.7	14.0	49.1
2023	712	53.7	13.2	49.2
2024	901	63.2	14.2	58.7

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 Biddeford High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	941	71.0	13.2	n/a
1992	917	67.0	13.6	n/a
1993	920	61.0	15.1	20.7
1994	937	57.6	16.3	13
1995	887	59.0	15.0	14.3
1996	887	59.0	15.0	14.3
1997	883	55.0	16.1	13.5
1998	890	55.0	16.2	13.5
1999	878	55.1	15.9	18.6
2000	870	55.0	15.8	19.4
2001	875	56.1	15.6	15.2
2002	967	56.8	17.0	17.3
2003	967	56.8	17.0	17.3
2004	965	56.6	17.0	18.3
2005	940	59.2	15.9	21
2006	930	60.6	15.3	23
2007	952	61.8	15.4	23.6
2008	949	80.8	11.7	34.9
2009	936	60.9	14.9	32.1
2010	903	62.2	14.5	38.2
2011	852	60.5	14.0	41.5
2012	845	55.8	15.1	4
2013	804	58.1	13.8	46.1
2014	787	56.4	13.9	49
2015	801	54.0	14.8	48.4
2016	777	56.0	13.8	44.9
2017	786	55.0	14.2	49.5
2018	774	54.2	14.2	50.1
2019	769	51.5	14.9	51.2
2020	767	50.8	15.0	42.6
2021	738	48.9	15.0	48.5
2022	738	52.7	14.0	49.1
2023	712	53.7	13.2	49.2
2024	901	63.2	14.2	58.7

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 Biddeford High School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$12,529
2019	$12,240
2020	$12,900
2021	$15,131
2022	$15,663
2023	$17,485

Data source: Maine Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Biddeford High 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 65^th of 114 High schools	Ranks 106^th of 123 High schools	29.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	769	712	7.4%
African American	27	42	55.6%
American Indian	5	4	20%
Asian	21	18	14.3%
Hispanic	36	43	19.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	647	576	11%
Two or More Races	33	29	12.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	51.2%	49.2%	2.1%

Schools Near Biddeford High 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
Biddeford High School	Public	8-12	20 Maplewood Avenue	Biddeford	04005	York County	Biddeford Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 282-1596	901	63	14.2	58.7%	681 (75.6%)	102 (11.3%)	59 (6.5%)	17 (1.9%)	6 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (4.0%)	19.7	106^th of 123 public high schools	13.8%		45.5	66^th of 98 public high schools	32.7%	40	57.1	34.0	22.9	$17,485
Old Orchard Beach High School	Public	9-12	40 E Emerson Cummings Blvd	Old Orchard Beach	04064	York County	Regional School Unit 23	No	No	No	No	(207) 934-4461	199	25	7.9	34.7%	171 (85.9%)	12 (6.0%)	8 (4.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.0%)	44.5	50^th of 123 public high schools	59.3%					(n/a)	60.4	36.2	46.8	$29,434
Kennebunk High School	Public	9-12	89 Fletcher Street	Kennebunk	04043	York County	Regional School Unit 21	No	No	No	No	(207) 985-1110	707	62	11.4	8.9%	643 (90.9%)	11 (1.6%)	26 (3.7%)	10 (1.4%)	7 (1.0%)	3 (0.4%)	7 (1.0%)	69.6	19^th of 123 public high schools	84.6%		56	52^nd of 98 public high schools	46.9%	33	79.1	50.8	40.9	$23,363
Scarborough High School	Public	9-12	11 Municipal Drive	Scarborough	04074	Cumberland County	Scarborough Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 730-5000	916	82	11.1	9.6%	761 (83.1%)	50 (5.5%)	27 (2.9%)	42 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.4%)	32 (3.5%)	93.9	4^th of 123 public high schools	96.7%		67.6	29^th of 98 public high schools	70.4%	25	83.3	67.4	64.0	$20,630
Maine Connections Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter	7-12	8 Science Park Road	Scarborough	04074	Cumberland County	Maine Connections Academy	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	(207) 805-3254	510	23	22.1	40.4%	465 (91.2%)	2 (0.4%)	17 (3.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (4.9%)	63.7	25^th of 123 public high schools	79.7%		82.3	11^th of 98 public high schools	88.8%	14	78.0	33.3	57.5	$11,444
Gorham High School	Public	9-12	41 Morrill Avenue	Gorham	04038	Cumberland County	Gorham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 222-1100	813	63	12.9	8.6%	730 (89.8%)	24 (3.0%)	23 (2.8%)	21 (2.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	13 (1.6%)	70.4	15^th of 123 public high schools	87.8%		66.2	32^nd of 98 public high schools	67.3%	17	74.8	44.1	59.4	$19,426
Arthur R. Gould School--LCYDC	Public	7-12	675 Westbrook Street	South Portland	04106	Cumberland County	Arthur R. Gould School--LCYDC	No	No	No	No	(207) 822-2660	11	10	1.1	45.5%	8 (72.7%)	2 (18.2%)	1 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Massabesic High School	Public	9-12	88 West Road	Waterboro	04087	York County	Regional School Unit 57/Maine School Admin District 57	No	No	No	No	(207) 247-3141	898	65	13.7	31.8%	851 (94.8%)	4 (0.4%)	12 (1.3%)	3 (0.3%)	6 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (2.4%)	21.3	100^th of 123 public high schools	18.7%		15	93^rd of 98 public high schools	5.1%	7	51.8	33.5	31.8	$15,868
South Portland High School	Public	9-12	637 Highland Avenue	South Portland	04106	Cumberland County	South Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 767-3266	995	81	12.3	36.3%	625 (62.8%)	215 (21.6%)	78 (7.8%)	34 (3.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (4.2%)	19.6	107^th of 123 public high schools	13.0%		16.4	92^nd of 98 public high schools	6.1%	15	57.9	29.9	24.4	$16,728
Wells High School	Public	9-12	200 Sanford RD	Wells	04090	York County	Wells-Ogunquit Central School District	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 646-7011	402	35	11.4	13.4%	368 (91.5%)	7 (1.7%)	10 (2.5%)	7 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	8 (2.0%)	54.8	33^rd of 123 public high schools	73.2%		60	42^nd of 98 public high schools	57.1%	9	61.1	50.9	45.6	$23,080

Frequently Asked Questions about Biddeford High School

How many students attend Biddeford High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 901 students attended Biddeford High School.

What is the racial makeup of Biddeford High School?

Students at Biddeford High School are 76% White, 11% African American, 7% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Biddeford High School a good school?

Biddeford High School ranks in the bottom 13.8% of Maine high schools.

What district is Biddeford High School in?

Biddeford Public Schools

What schools feed into Biddeford High School?

Biddeford High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Biddeford Intermediate School
Elementary : Biddeford Primary School
Elementary : John F Kennedy Memorial School
Middle : Biddeford Middle School

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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.