Great Falls Elementary School

Q: Is Great Falls Elementary School a good school?

Great Falls Elementary School ranks 74 th of 290 Maine elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Great Falls Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Gorham, Maine, serving 485 students from kindergarten to 5th grade and is part of the Gorham Public Schools district.

Great Falls Elementary School consistently performs above the state average in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science proficiency, with 67.8% of students proficient or better in ELA and 66.24% in Mathematics, compared to state averages of 64.63% and 48.68%, respectively. The school also has a relatively low chronic absenteeism rate of 11%, better than the state average of 15-20%, and a favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.6. However, the student population is predominantly White, with only 11.34% of students from minority racial backgrounds, similar to other schools in the Gorham Public Schools district.

When compared to nearby elementary schools, such as Village Elementary School-Gorham and Narragansett Elementary School, Great Falls Elementary School generally outperforms its peers in academic metrics, has a lower chronic absenteeism rate, and a more favorable student-teacher ratio. While the school's performance is strong, there may be opportunities to further improve student outcomes and increase the racial diversity of the student population.

Detail:

Public K-5

73 Justice Way
Gorham, ME 04038

(207) 222-1050

District: Gorham Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
74^th of 290 Maine Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,188

Students who attend Great Falls Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Gorham Middle School
High:	Gorham High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.3

Number of students: 500

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.4%

Two or more races:

6.2%

Hispanic:

2.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 8.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Great Falls Elementary School ranks better than 74.5% of elementary schools in Maine. It also ranks first among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Gorham Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 76.93. (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 Great Falls Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Gorham Public Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (87.4%), two or more races (6.2%), Hispanic (2.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 8.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Gorham Public Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Great Falls Elementary School is 12.3, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Gorham Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Great Falls Elementary School employs 40.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Great Falls Elementary School is $19,188, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Gorham Public Schools District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Great Falls Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Gorham Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Gorham Public Schools 41^st of 177 Maine school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Great Falls Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Great Falls Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile
2015	84.71	41^st	284	85.6%
2016	78.97	30^th	255	88.2%
2017	75.43	41^st	256	84.0%
2018	77.44	33^rd	254	87.0%
2019	71.63	55^th	258	78.7%
2021	73.44	41^st	228	82.0%
2022	68.33	61^st	210	71.0%
2023	76.93	74^th	290	74.5%

See the entire list of Maine Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Great Falls Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	65.08	44^th	153	71.2%
2021	77.81	16^th	90	82.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Great Falls Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	72.52	34^th	153	77.8%
2021	71.80	25^th	90	72.2%

See the entire list of Best Maine Elementary Schools for Male 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 Great Falls Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2013	494	5	8	5	1	0	2	515
2014	475	3	8	7	0	0	9	502
2015	464	1	7	8	0	0	10	490
2016	447	1	7	7	0	1	10	473
2017	486	6	8	8	1	0	10	519
2018	486	7	9	8	1	0	17	528
2019	516	8	8	13	1	1	20	567
2020	524	8	6	18	2	1	19	578
2021	436	5	8	14	1	1	23	488
2022	456	6	6	18	1	1	23	511
2023	430	5	6	16	1	1	26	485
2024	437	10	5	14	2	1	31	500

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 Great Falls Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2013	515	32.1	16.0	27.4
2014	502	35.0	14.3	25.9
2015	490	35.0	14.0	28.8
2016	473	35.0	13.5	24.7
2017	519	36.5	14.2	25.2
2018	528	40.2	13.1	23.5
2019	567	41.3	13.7	23.8
2020	578	42.6	13.5	21.5
2021	488	39.2	12.4	15.8
2022	511	40.7	12.5	19.4
2023	485	41.7	11.6	18.6
2024	500	40.6	12.3	8.4

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 Great Falls Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2013	515	32.1	16.0	27.4
2014	502	35.0	14.3	25.9
2015	490	35.0	14.0	28.8
2016	473	35.0	13.5	24.7
2017	519	36.5	14.2	25.2
2018	528	40.2	13.1	23.5
2019	567	41.3	13.7	23.8
2020	578	42.6	13.5	21.5
2021	488	39.2	12.4	15.8
2022	511	40.7	12.5	19.4
2023	485	41.7	11.6	18.6
2024	500	40.6	12.3	8.4

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 Great Falls Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$13,217
2019	$13,276
2020	$14,063
2021	$17,551
2022	$17,410
2023	$19,188

Data source: Maine Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Great Falls Elementary 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 55^th of 258 Elementary schools	Ranks 74^th of 290 Elementary schools	4.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
All Grades English Language Arts (Great Falls Elementary School)	57.8	89.2	31.4%
All Grades English Language Arts (Gorham Public Schools)	68.1	90.6	22.5%
All Grades English Language Arts (Maine)	55.9	83.8	27.9%
All Grades Mathematics (Great Falls Elementary School)	53.6	88.5	34.9%
All Grades Mathematics (Gorham Public Schools)	45.9	89.9	43.9%
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	567	485	14.5%
African American	8	5	37.5%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	8	6	25%
Hispanic	13	16	23.1%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	516	430	16.7%
Two or More Races	20	26	30%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	23.8%	18.6%	5.3%

Schools Near Great Falls Elementary 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
Great Falls Elementary School	Public	K-5	73 Justice Way	Gorham	04038	Cumberland County	Gorham Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 222-1050	500	41	12.3	8.4%	437 (87.4%)	10 (2.0%)	14 (2.8%)	5 (1.0%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	31 (6.2%)	76.9	74^th of 290 public elementary schools	74.5%		68.3	61^st of 210 public elementary schools	71.0%	13	67.8	66.2	51.4	$19,188
Narragansett Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	284 Main Street	Gorham	04038	Cumberland County	Gorham Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 222-1250	440	31	14.0	8.2%	368 (83.6%)	18 (4.1%)	18 (4.1%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (6.4%)	72.6	81^st of 290 public elementary schools	72.1%		83.8	23^rd of 210 public elementary schools	89.0%	58	72.2	67.2	22.1	$18,113
Windham Primary School	Public	K-3	404 Gray Road	Windham	04062	Cumberland County	Regional School Unit 14	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 892-1840	726	54	13.3	20.5%	638 (87.9%)	21 (2.9%)	26 (3.6%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (4.8%)	42.9	186^th of 290 public elementary schools	35.9%		48.6	106^th of 210 public elementary schools	49.5%	80	57.5	52.3		$16,052
Village Elementary School-Gorham	Public	K-5	12 Robie Street	Gorham	04038	Cumberland County	Gorham Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 222-1300	428	34	12.6	7.9%	374 (87.4%)	16 (3.7%)	13 (3.0%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.7%)	64.8	111^th of 290 public elementary schools	61.7%		74.5	50^th of 210 public elementary schools	76.2%	61	74.2	54.4	22.2	$17,688
Congin School	Public	PK, KG-4	410 Bridge Street	Westbrook	04092	Cumberland County	Westbrook Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 854-0844	317	32	9.9	51.1%	199 (62.8%)	69 (21.8%)	20 (6.3%)	15 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.4%)	27.9	234^th of 290 public elementary schools	19.3%		22.3	160^th of 210 public elementary schools	23.8%	74	52.5	45.7		$17,362
Edna Libby Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	45 Fort Hill Road	Standish	04084	Cumberland County	Regional School Unit 06/Maine School Admin District 06	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 642-2500	306	21	14.6	29.7%	285 (93.1%)	5 (1.6%)	9 (2.9%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	82.6	56^th of 290 public elementary schools	80.7%		58.1	86^th of 210 public elementary schools	59.0%	30	74.2	63.5		$16,866
Saccarappa School	Public	K-4	110 Huntress Avenue	Westbrook	04092	Cumberland County	Westbrook Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 854-0847	393	44	8.8	70.2%	219 (55.7%)	113 (28.8%)	19 (4.8%)	18 (4.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.6%)	3.4	285^th of 290 public elementary schools	1.7%		0.2	206^th of 210 public elementary schools	1.9%	79	43.4	22.6		$16,385
George E Jack School	Public	4-5	15 Northeast Road	Standish	04084	Cumberland County	Regional School Unit 06/Maine School Admin District 06	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 642-4885	141	10	14.8	25.5%	124 (87.9%)	3 (2.1%)	3 (2.1%)	3 (2.1%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.3%)								(n/a)	65.6	37.9	10.7	$17,529
Oxford-Cumberland Canal School	Public	K-4	102 Glenwood Avenue	Westbrook	04092	Cumberland County	Westbrook Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 854-0840	185	27	6.8	65.9%	111 (60.0%)	46 (24.9%)	10 (5.4%)	4 (2.2%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (7.0%)	36.1	211^th of 290 public elementary schools	27.2%		30.6	147^th of 210 public elementary schools	30.0%	64	55.4	49.4		$19,377
Gerald E Talbot Community School	Public	PK, KG-5	1600 Forest AV	Portland	04103	Cumberland County	Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 874-8210	361	42	8.5	61.2%	152 (42.1%)	132 (36.6%)	32 (8.9%)	18 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (7.5%)	19.4	261^st of 290 public elementary schools	10.0%		2.1	201^st of 210 public elementary schools	4.3%	60	47.5	41.9		$25,102

Frequently Asked Questions about Great Falls Elementary School

What district is Great Falls Elementary School in?

Gorham Public Schools

What schools do graduates of Great Falls Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Great Falls Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Gorham Middle School
High : Gorham High School

Is Great Falls Elementary School a good school?

Great Falls Elementary School ranks 74^th of 290 Maine elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Great Falls Elementary School?

Students at Great Falls Elementary School are 87% White, 6% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 2% African American.

How many students attend Great Falls Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 500 students attended Great Falls Elementary 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.