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Penobscot Valley High School

Summary:

Penobscot Valley High School is a small public high school in Howland, Maine, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 134. The school is part of the Regional School Unit 31/Maine School Administrative District 31, which is ranked 118 out of 177 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Penobscot Valley High School stands out for its significantly higher percentage of White students (93.28%) compared to the state average and nearby schools like Penquis Valley Middle/High School and Mattanawcook Academy. However, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Maine high schools, with a 1- or 2-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating below-average performance. Additionally, Penobscot Valley High School has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, with 28% of students chronically absent, significantly higher than the state and nearby schools.

Academically, Penobscot Valley High School's proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are lower than the state and district averages. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, at 44.78%, higher than the state average and nearby schools. While the performance of male students and low socioeconomic status students at Penobscot Valley High School is relatively better compared to the overall school, the school's ranking and performance have declined over the years, suggesting the need for targeted interventions to address the challenges it faces.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 23 Cross Street
       Howland, ME  04448

(207) 732-3111

District: Regional School Unit 31/Maine School Admin District 31

SchoolDigger Rank:
104th of 123 Maine High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $20,122 Help


Feeder schools for Penobscot Valley High School:

Elementary:    Enfield Station Elementary School
Middle:    Hichborn Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  10.0 Help
Number of students:  134

Racial breakdown:

White:
93.3%
American Indian:
3.7%
Asian:
1.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  44.8% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Penobscot Valley High School ranks worse than 84.6% of high schools in Maine. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 20.54. (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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (93.3%), American Indian (3.7%), Asian (1.5%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 44.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Penobscot Valley High School is 10. (See more...)
Help
Compare Penobscot Valley High School employs 13.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Penobscot Valley High School is $20,122.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Penobscot Valley High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Penobscot Valley High School 104th of 123 Maine public high schools. (See Penobscot Valley High School in the ranking list.)

Regional School Unit 31/Maine School Admin District 31:

SchoolDigger ranks Regional School Unit 31/Maine School Admin District 31 118th of 177 Maine school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Penobscot Valley High School

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Rank History for all students at Penobscot Valley High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools ME State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2010 41.60 57th 103 44.7%
2011 18.31 93rd 105 11.4%
2012 19.23 95th 107 11.2%
2013 24.87 91st 106 14.2%
2016 17.76 99th 111 10.8%
2017 34.17 71st 111 36.0%
2019 34.09 70th 114 38.6%
2023 20.54 104th 123 15.4%
See the entire list of Maine High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Penobscot Valley High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools ME State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 60.48 29th 76 61.8%
See the entire list of Best Maine High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Penobscot Valley High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools ME State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 20.73 77th 92 16.3%
See the entire list of Best Maine High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Penobscot Valley High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools ME State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 58.30 34th 92 63.0%
See the entire list of Best Maine High 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.

Penobscot Valley High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Maine Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Penobscot Valley 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 267 267
1992 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 251 251
1993 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 245 245
1994 251 3 0 0 1 n/a n/a 0 255
1995 287 2 0 0 1 n/a n/a 0 290
1996 287 2 0 0 1 n/a n/a 0 290
1997 275 2 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 279
1998 270 2 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 273
1999 250 1 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 252
2000 244 1 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 246
2001 223 5 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 230
2002 229 1 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 231
2003 229 1 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 231
2004 232 3 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 236
2005 231 2 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 234
2006 209 1 0 0 1 n/a n/a 0 211
2007 233 3 0 0 2 n/a n/a 0 238
2008 209 2 0 0 2 n/a n/a 0 213
2009 202 3 1 1 1 n/a n/a 0 208
2010 179 3 3 1 0 n/a n/a 0 186
2011 173 1 1 3 0 1 1 0 180
2012 165 2 1 3 0 1 0 0 172
2013 154 1 1 0 1 2 0 0 159
2014 157 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 161
2015 160 0 0 0 4 1 0 0 165
2016 147 2 0 1 5 2 0 0 157
2017 144 2 0 1 3 2 0 0 152
2018 144 5 2 1 3 2 1 0 158
2019 127 4 1 1 7 2 0 0 142
2020 113 3 2 1 9 2 0 0 130
2021 119 3 3 0 10 1 0 0 136
2022 118 2 2 0 8 1 0 0 131
2023 125 1 2 0 5 1 0 0 134

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 Penobscot Valley High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 267 18.6 14.3 n/a
1992 251 17.6 14.2 n/a
1993 245 17.0 14.4 23.7
1994 255 17.0 15.0 27.8
1995 290 17.0 17.1 29
1996 290 17.0 17.1 29
1997 279 17.0 16.4 23.7
1998 273 16.6 16.4 27.5
1999 252 19.0 13.3 34.1
2000 246 17.0 14.5 35
2001 230 17.5 13.1 34.8
2002 231 17.6 13.1 47.6
2003 231 17.6 13.1 47.6
2004 236 17.8 13.3 n/a
2005 234 22.6 10.4 54.7
2006 211 20.1 10.5 51.2
2007 238 20.5 11.6 55
2008 213 26.3 8.1 50.2
2009 208 20.1 10.0 50.5
2010 186 20.6 9.0 52.7
2011 180 18.9 9.5 65
2012 172 18.0 9.5 13.4
2013 159 19.2 8.2 60.4
2014 161 17.0 9.4 62.7
2015 165 17.0 9.7 51.5
2016 157 17.0 9.2 54.1
2017 152 16.0 9.5 57.2
2018 158 15.7 10.0 57
2019 142 15.7 9.0 58.5
2020 130 15.9 8.1 53.8
2021 136 15.2 8.9 56.6
2022 131 14.4 9.0 51.1
2023 134 13.4 10.0 44.8

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 Penobscot Valley High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1991 267 18.6 14.3 n/a
1992 251 17.6 14.2 n/a
1993 245 17.0 14.4 23.7
1994 255 17.0 15.0 27.8
1995 290 17.0 17.1 29
1996 290 17.0 17.1 29
1997 279 17.0 16.4 23.7
1998 273 16.6 16.4 27.5
1999 252 19.0 13.3 34.1
2000 246 17.0 14.5 35
2001 230 17.5 13.1 34.8
2002 231 17.6 13.1 47.6
2003 231 17.6 13.1 47.6
2004 236 17.8 13.3 n/a
2005 234 22.6 10.4 54.7
2006 211 20.1 10.5 51.2
2007 238 20.5 11.6 55
2008 213 26.3 8.1 50.2
2009 208 20.1 10.0 50.5
2010 186 20.6 9.0 52.7
2011 180 18.9 9.5 65
2012 172 18.0 9.5 13.4
2013 159 19.2 8.2 60.4
2014 161 17.0 9.4 62.7
2015 165 17.0 9.7 51.5
2016 157 17.0 9.2 54.1
2017 152 16.0 9.5 57.2
2018 158 15.7 10.0 57
2019 142 15.7 9.0 58.5
2020 130 15.9 8.1 53.8
2021 136 15.2 8.9 56.6
2022 131 14.4 9.0 51.1
2023 134 13.4 10.0 44.8

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 Penobscot Valley High School

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $14,885
2019 $16,622
2020 $19,754
2021 $20,707
2022 $20,195
2023 $20,122

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Penobscot Valley 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 70th of 114 High schoolsRanks 104th of 123 High schools
 23.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students142134
 5.6%
African American41
 75%
American Indian75
 28.6%
Asian12
 100%
Hispanic10
 100%
Pacific Islander21
 50%
White127125
 1.6%
Two or More Races00
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients58.5%44.8%
 13.7%

Schools Near Penobscot Valley High School








Frequently Asked Questions about Penobscot Valley High School

Students at Penobscot Valley High School are 93% White, 4% American Indian, 1% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 134 students attended Penobscot Valley High School.

Penobscot Valley High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Enfield Station Elementary School
Middle : Hichborn Middle School

Penobscot Valley High School ranks in the bottom 15.4% of Maine high schools.


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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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