Peaks Island School

Summary:

Peaks Island School is a small public elementary school located on Peaks Island, Maine, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 41 students. Despite its small size, the school consistently outperforms the Portland Public Schools district and the state of Maine in academic proficiency, with 68.42% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 65% in Mathematics.

One key differentiator of Peaks Island School is its racial homogeneity, with 87.8% of students identifying as white, compared to nearby schools in the Portland Public Schools district that have more diverse student populations. Additionally, the school has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (14.63%) and a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 9.3, both of which are favorable compared to the surrounding district.

While Peaks Island School's academic performance is impressive, the school has experienced significant fluctuations in its statewide ranking over the years, and it has a relatively high chronic absenteeism rate of 40.5%, which is significantly higher than nearby schools. These factors suggest that the school's success may be influenced by unique geographic and demographic factors, and a more nuanced understanding of the school's context is necessary to fully appreciate its strengths and challenges. Interestingly, some nearby schools, such as Dora L. Small Elementary School in South Portland, also demonstrate strong academic performance, providing a useful comparison point.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 4 Church AV
       Peaks Island, ME  04108


(207) 766-2528

District: Portland Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
75th of 290 Maine Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $32,839 Help


Students who attend Peaks Island School usually attend:

Middle:    King Middle School
High:    Casco Bay High School
    Deering High School
    Portland High School

Student/teacher ratio:  8.5 Help
Number of students:  46

Racial breakdown:

White:
87.0%
Hispanic:
6.5%
African American:
4.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  21.7% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Peaks Island School ranks better than 74.1% of elementary schools in Maine. It also ranks 2nd among 9 ranked elementary schools in the Portland Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 75.92. (See more...)
Help
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
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (87%), Hispanic (6.5%), African American (4.3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 21.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Peaks Island School is 8.5, which is the 2nd best among 9 elementary schools in the Portland Public Schools District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Peaks Island School employs 5.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Peaks Island School is $32,839, which is the 2nd highest among 9 elementary schools in the Portland Public Schools District.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Peaks Island School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Portland Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Portland Public Schools 119th of 177 Maine school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Peaks Island School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools ME State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 80.88 20th 192 89.6%
2007 73.83 30th 198 84.8%
2008 87.77 6th 195 96.9%
2009 77.86 14th 209 93.3%
2011 41.73 119th 186 36.0%
2012 59.80 82nd 258 68.2%
2013 92.33 2nd 261 99.2%
2015 57.23 136th 284 52.1%
2023 75.92 75th 290 74.1%
See the entire list of Maine Elementary School Rankings!

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

Peaks Island School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    



Data source: Maine Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Peaks Island School

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Compare
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 65 65
1992 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 66 66
1993 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 93 93
1994 88 0 3 0 0 n/a n/a 0 91
1995 89 1 4 0 2 n/a n/a 0 96
1996 89 1 4 0 2 n/a n/a 0 96
1997 88 0 3 0 2 n/a n/a 0 93
1998 74 0 2 0 2 n/a n/a 0 78
1999 69 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 69
2000 61 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 61
2001 48 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 48
2002 48 0 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 49
2003 48 0 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 49
2004 44 1 1 0 2 n/a n/a 0 48
2005 49 1 2 0 2 n/a n/a 0 54
2006 41 2 2 0 2 n/a n/a 0 47
2007 41 2 3 1 1 n/a n/a 0 48
2008 42 1 3 2 1 n/a n/a 0 49
2009 42 2 2 2 0 n/a n/a 0 48
2010 47 1 2 2 0 n/a n/a 0 52
2011 53 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 57
2012 60 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 64
2013 58 2 0 3 0 0 0 0 63
2014 51 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 54
2015 48 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 52
2016 36 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 40
2017 35 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 38
2018 28 3 1 3 0 0 2 0 37
2019 29 2 1 5 0 0 2 0 39
2020 31 2 1 4 0 0 2 0 40
2021 27 2 0 4 0 0 0 0 33
2022 31 2 0 5 0 0 0 0 38
2023 36 0 0 4 0 0 1 0 41
2024 40 2 0 3 0 0 1 0 46

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 Peaks Island School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 65 5.7 11.4 n/a
1992 66 5.5 12.0 n/a
1993 93 6.2 15.0 26.9
1994 91 5.8 15.7 17.6
1995 96 6.0 16.0 21.9
1996 96 6.0 16.0 21.9
1997 93 7.0 13.3 29
1998 78 7.8 10.0 28.2
1999 69 6.0 11.5 18.8
2000 61 5.0 12.2 21.3
2001 48 6.4 7.5 12.5
2002 49 5.1 9.6 4.1
2003 49 5.1 9.6 4.1
2004 48 4.5 10.7 10.4
2005 54 5.2 10.4 16.7
2006 47 5.3 8.9 19.1
2007 48 5.7 8.4 12.5
2008 49 5.7 8.6 16.3
2009 48 6.5 6.4 16.7
2010 52 5.8 8.9 9.6
2011 57 4.7 12.1 17.5
2012 64 3.5 18.2 4.7
2013 63 4.9 12.7 17.5
2014 54 4.9 10.8 27.8
2015 52 6.0 8.6 26.9
2016 40 5.0 8.0 25
2017 38 4.0 9.5 31.6
2018 37 3.7 10.0 35.1
2019 39 3.9 10.0 35.9
2020 40 5.5 7.1 25
2021 33 4.7 7.0 27.3
2022 38 4.7 8.0 15.8
2023 41 4.4 9.3 14.6
2024 46 5.4 8.5 21.7

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 Peaks Island School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 65 5.7 11.4 n/a
1992 66 5.5 12.0 n/a
1993 93 6.2 15.0 26.9
1994 91 5.8 15.7 17.6
1995 96 6.0 16.0 21.9
1996 96 6.0 16.0 21.9
1997 93 7.0 13.3 29
1998 78 7.8 10.0 28.2
1999 69 6.0 11.5 18.8
2000 61 5.0 12.2 21.3
2001 48 6.4 7.5 12.5
2002 49 5.1 9.6 4.1
2003 49 5.1 9.6 4.1
2004 48 4.5 10.7 10.4
2005 54 5.2 10.4 16.7
2006 47 5.3 8.9 19.1
2007 48 5.7 8.4 12.5
2008 49 5.7 8.6 16.3
2009 48 6.5 6.4 16.7
2010 52 5.8 8.9 9.6
2011 57 4.7 12.1 17.5
2012 64 3.5 18.2 4.7
2013 63 4.9 12.7 17.5
2014 54 4.9 10.8 27.8
2015 52 6.0 8.6 26.9
2016 40 5.0 8.0 25
2017 38 4.0 9.5 31.6
2018 37 3.7 10.0 35.1
2019 39 3.9 10.0 35.9
2020 40 5.5 7.1 25
2021 33 4.7 7.0 27.3
2022 38 4.7 8.0 15.8
2023 41 4.4 9.3 14.6
2024 46 5.4 8.5 21.7

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 Peaks Island School

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $23,991
2019 $23,538
2020 $26,863
2021 $36,029
2022 $35,084
2023 $32,839

Data source: Maine Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Peaks Island 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.

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students3941
 5.1%
African American20
 100%
American Indian00
Asian10
 100%
Hispanic54
 20%
Pacific Islander00
White2936
 24.1%
Two or More Races21
 50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients35.9%14.6%
 21.3%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Peaks Island School

Peaks Island School ranks 75th of 290 Maine elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Peaks Island School usually go on to attend:

Middle : King Middle School
High : Casco Bay High School
High : Deering High School
High : Portland High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 46 students attended Peaks Island School.

Students at Peaks Island School are 87% White, 7% Hispanic, 4% African American, 2% Two or more races.


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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.





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