James Otis Kaler Elementary School

Q: Is James Otis Kaler Elementary School a good school?

James Otis Kaler Elementary School ranks 141 st of 290 Maine elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

James Otis Kaler Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 220 students in grades PK-4 in South Portland, Maine, which is part of the South Portland Public Schools district.

The school has a relatively diverse student population, with 47.27% White, 35% African American, and smaller percentages of other races. However, its academic performance has been mixed, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics fluctuating between 60.87% and 81.25% over the past few years. This is slightly below the state and district averages. The school also faces challenges with a high chronic absenteeism rate of 22.9%, which is notably higher than the state and district averages. Additionally, the school has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at 33.18%, suggesting that socioeconomic factors may be impacting student learning.

When compared to other elementary schools in the South Portland Public Schools district, James Otis Kaler has a more diverse student population but generally lower academic performance. For example, Dora L Small Elementary School, which is ranked 35th out of 290 Maine elementary schools, has a higher percentage of White students and significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics than James Otis Kaler.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

165 South Kelsey Street
South Portland, ME 04106

(207) 799-3214

District: South Portland Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
141^st of 290 Maine Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,366

Student/teacher ratio: 11.0

Number of students: 220

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.3%

African American:

35.0%

Hispanic:

8.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 33.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details James Otis Kaler Elementary School ranks better than 51.4% of elementary schools in Maine. It also ranks 3^rd among 5 ranked elementary schools in the South Portland Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 56.14. (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 (47.3%), African American (35%), Hispanic (8.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 33.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the South Portland Public Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at James Otis Kaler Elementary School is 11. 3 elementary schools in the South Portland Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare James Otis Kaler Elementary School employs 19.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at James Otis Kaler Elementary School is $19,366, which is the lowest among 5 elementary schools in the South Portland Public Schools District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

James Otis Kaler Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

South Portland Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks South Portland Public Schools 83^rd of 177 Maine school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for James Otis Kaler Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at James Otis Kaler Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile
2007	49.95	102^nd	198	48.5%
2008	32.51	150^th	195	23.1%
2009	19.30	200^th	209	4.3%
2010	12.65	189^th	193	2.1%
2011	14.62	176^th	186	5.4%
2012	35.26	202^nd	258	21.7%
2013	5.75	258^th	261	1.1%
2015	13.60	274^th	284	3.5%
2016	14.72	241^st	255	5.5%
2017	26.04	212^th	256	17.2%
2018	51.17	123^rd	254	51.6%
2019	40.52	164^th	258	36.4%
2021	15.85	182^nd	228	20.2%
2022	20.33	166^th	210	21.0%
2023	56.14	141^st	290	51.4%

See the entire list of Maine Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at James Otis Kaler Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	2.51	61^st	64	4.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at James Otis Kaler Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	23.17	135^th	153	11.8%
2021	4.60	83^rd	90	7.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at James Otis Kaler Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	40.02	100^th	153	34.6%
2021	35.53	61^st	90	32.2%

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

Rank History for White students at James Otis Kaler Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	50.47	24^th	48	50.0%
2021	44.00	16^th	31	48.4%

See the entire list of Best Maine Elementary 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 James Otis Kaler Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2004	257	2	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	262
2005	239	8	8	4	0	n/a	n/a	259
2006	188	13	9	4	0	n/a	n/a	214
2007	200	7	6	2	2	n/a	n/a	217
2008	205	3	3	2	2	n/a	n/a	215
2009	199	9	11	3	3	n/a	n/a	225
2010	211	11	12	2	5	n/a	n/a	241
2011	200	8	8	5	2	0	15	238
2012	142	8	10	9	0	0	12	181
2013	160	8	9	18	1	0	19	215
2014	162	12	11	18	3	0	22	228
2015	152	12	15	16	2	1	20	218
2016	157	11	15	20	3	1	19	226
2017	164	10	20	16	3	0	19	232
2018	163	18	14	10	3	1	19	228
2019	170	19	14	6	3	1	18	231
2020	169	19	8	9	3	2	16	226
2021	152	24	12	14	2	1	12	217
2022	137	67	9	15	2	1	9	240
2023	104	77	8	19	1	1	10	220

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 James Otis Kaler Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	262	15.0	17.5	n/a
2005	259	19.9	13.0	34.7
2006	214	18.0	11.9	44.9
2007	217	17.0	12.8	49.3
2008	215	23.5	9.1	47.4
2009	225	18.0	12.5	48.9
2010	241	20.5	11.7	49.4
2011	238	22.8	10.4	49.6
2012	181	19.8	9.1	n/a
2013	215	19.4	11.0	56.7
2014	228	20.7	10.9	57.5
2015	218	22.0	9.9	65.1
2016	226	22.0	10.2	65
2017	232	20.7	11.2	60.3
2018	228	22.1	10.3	59.2
2019	231	21.0	11.0	52.4
2020	226	20.6	10.9	50.4
2021	217	21.3	10.1	45.2
2022	240	21.6	11.1	54.2
2023	220	19.9	11.0	33.2

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 James Otis Kaler Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	262	15.0	17.5	n/a
2005	259	19.9	13.0	34.7
2006	214	18.0	11.9	44.9
2007	217	17.0	12.8	49.3
2008	215	23.5	9.1	47.4
2009	225	18.0	12.5	48.9
2010	241	20.5	11.7	49.4
2011	238	22.8	10.4	49.6
2012	181	19.8	9.1	n/a
2013	215	19.4	11.0	56.7
2014	228	20.7	10.9	57.5
2015	218	22.0	9.9	65.1
2016	226	22.0	10.2	65
2017	232	20.7	11.2	60.3
2018	228	22.1	10.3	59.2
2019	231	21.0	11.0	52.4
2020	226	20.6	10.9	50.4
2021	217	21.3	10.1	45.2
2022	240	21.6	11.1	54.2
2023	220	19.9	11.0	33.2

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 James Otis Kaler Elementary School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$17,657
2019	$17,692
2020	$18,727
2021	$21,315
2022	$16,473
2023	$19,366

Data source: Maine Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on James Otis Kaler 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 164^th of 258 Elementary schools	Ranks 141^st of 290 Elementary schools	14.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
All Grades English Language Arts (James Otis Kaler Elementary School)	48	81.3	33.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (South Portland Public Schools)	57.6	83.7	26.1%
All Grades English Language Arts (Maine)	55.9	83.8	27.9%
All Grades Mathematics (James Otis Kaler Elementary School)	37.9	71.2	33.3%
All Grades Mathematics (South Portland Public Schools)	37.8	76.7	38.9%
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	231	220	4.8%
African American	19	77	305.3%
American Indian	3	1	66.7%
Asian	14	8	42.9%
Hispanic	6	19	216.7%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	170	104	38.8%
Two or More Races	18	10	44.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	52.4%	33.2%	19.2%

Schools Near James Otis Kaler 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
James Otis Kaler Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	165 South Kelsey Street	South Portland	04106	Cumberland County	South Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 799-3214	220	20	11.0	33.2%	104 (47.3%)	77 (35.0%)	19 (8.6%)	8 (3.6%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	10 (4.5%)	56.1	141^st of 290 public elementary schools	51.4%		20.3	166^th of 210 public elementary schools	21.0%	25	60.9	57.4		$19,366
Dyer Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	52 Alfred Street	South Portland	04106	Cumberland County	South Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 799-4845	196	20	9.6	10.7%	140 (71.4%)	21 (10.7%)	15 (7.7%)	9 (4.6%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.1%)	51.4	164^th of 290 public elementary schools	43.4%		39.3	126^th of 210 public elementary schools	40.0%	38	60.2	55.0		$22,900
Frank I Brown Elementary School	Public	K-4	37 Highland AVE	South Portland	04106	Cumberland County	South Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 799-5196	235	25	9.2	22.6%	148 (63.0%)	52 (22.1%)	18 (7.7%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.4%)	71.7	86^th of 290 public elementary schools	70.3%		56.9	89^th of 210 public elementary schools	57.6%	3	65.4	66.3		$25,822
Howard C Reiche Community School	Public	PK, KG-5	166 Brackett ST	Portland	04102	Cumberland County	Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 874-8175	427	43	9.9	62.8%	154 (36.1%)	145 (34.0%)	103 (24.1%)	8 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.0%)	22.3	253^rd of 290 public elementary schools	12.8%		1.4	202^nd of 210 public elementary schools	3.8%	51	54.6	40.4	20.4	$20,663
Waldo T Skillin Elementary School	Public	K-4	180 Wescott Road	South Portland	04106	Cumberland County	South Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 773-7375	339	30	11.4	23.9%	159 (46.9%)	100 (29.5%)	34 (10.0%)	20 (5.9%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (6.8%)	34.4	217^th of 290 public elementary schools	25.2%		17.2	177^th of 210 public elementary schools	15.7%	40	57.4	45.8		$19,907
Dora L Small Elementary School	Public	K-4	87 Thompson Street	South Portland	04106	Cumberland County	South Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 799-7676	260	25	10.4	16.2%	198 (76.2%)	25 (9.6%)	16 (6.2%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (7.3%)	86.7	35^th of 290 public elementary schools	87.9%		68.5	60^th of 210 public elementary schools	71.4%	25	75.0	74.4	43.5	$19,898
Pond Cove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	12 Scott Dyer Road	Cape Elizabeth	04107	Cumberland County	Cape Elizabeth Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 799-7339	557	43	12.9	6.6%	483 (86.7%)	4 (0.7%)	29 (5.2%)	8 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.9%)	98.4	1^st of 290 public elementary schools	99.7%					(n/a)	84.7	89.9		$18,339
East End Community School	Public	PK, KG-5	195 North ST	Portland	04101	Cumberland County	Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 874-8228	407	40	10.1	72.7%	109 (26.8%)	211 (51.8%)	49 (12.0%)	13 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.1%)	18.2	265^th of 290 public elementary schools	8.6%		0.2	205^th of 210 public elementary schools	2.4%	60	52.5	39.4	15.4	$21,783
Pleasant Hill School	Public	K-2	143 Highland Avenue	Scarborough	04074	Cumberland County	Scarborough Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 730-5250	198	17	12.0	3.5%	182 (91.9%)	3 (1.5%)	2 (1.0%)	7 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)				$21,164
Longfellow School-Portland	Public	PK, KG-5	432 Stevens AV	Portland	04103	Cumberland County	Portland Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 874-8195	257	23	11.1	9.7%	213 (82.9%)	11 (4.3%)	7 (2.7%)	4 (1.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (8.2%)	97.7	2^nd of 290 public elementary schools	99.3%		78.5	40^th of 210 public elementary schools	81.0%	38	91.4	78.7	58.8	$19,822

Frequently Asked Questions about James Otis Kaler Elementary School

What district is James Otis Kaler Elementary School in?

South Portland Public Schools

What is the racial makeup of James Otis Kaler Elementary School?

Students at James Otis Kaler Elementary School are 47% White, 35% African American, 9% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

What schools do graduates of James Otis Kaler Elementary School attend?

Students who attend James Otis Kaler Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : South Portland High School

How many students attend James Otis Kaler Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 220 students attended James Otis Kaler Elementary School.

Is James Otis Kaler Elementary School a good school?

James Otis Kaler Elementary School ranks 141^st of 290 Maine elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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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.