Wells High School

Q: Is Wells High School a good school?

Wells High School ranks 33 rd of 123 Maine high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Wells High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in the town of Wells, Maine, with a student population of 415 as of the 2022-2023 school year. The school is part of the Wells-Ogunquit Central School District, which is ranked 30 out of 177 districts in the state and rated 4 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Wells High School has consistently ranked among the top high schools in Maine, with a 4 or 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science that are generally higher than the state averages. The school's 4-year graduation rate has been an impressive 100% for the past two school years, significantly higher than the state average. However, the school has seen a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism rates, rising from 9.2% in 2020-2021 to 20.2% in 2022-2023, an area that the school may need to address.

Compared to nearby high schools, such as Biddeford High School and Sanford High School, Wells High School stands out with its more homogeneous student population, with over 89% of students identifying as white in the 2022-2023 school year. The school also has a relatively low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 10.12% to 16.11% over the past three school years, indicating a more affluent student population. Additionally, Wells High School maintains a low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 10.8 to 11.6 over the past three school years, lower than the ratios observed in several of the nearby schools.

Detail:

Public 9-12

200 Sanford RD
Wells, ME 04090

(207) 646-7011

District: Wells-Ogunquit Central School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
33^rd of 123 Maine High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $23,080

Feeder schools for Wells High School:

Elementary:	Wells Elementary School
Middle:	Wells Junior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.4

Number of students: 402

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.5%

Hispanic:

2.5%

Two or more races:

2.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 13.4%

See top rated Maine high schools

Compare Wells High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Wells High School ranks better than 73.2% of high schools in Maine. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 54.75. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Wells 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 (91.5%), Hispanic (2.5%), two or more races (2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 13.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Wells High School is 11.4. (See more...)

Compare Wells High School employs 35.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Wells High School is $23,080.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Wells High School 33^rd of 123 Maine public high schools. (See Wells High School in the ranking list.)

Wells-Ogunquit Central School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Wells-Ogunquit Central School District 30^th of 177 Maine school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Wells High School.

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Rank History for Wells High School

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Rank History for all students at Wells High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	ME State Percentile
2010	83.42	14^th	103	86.4%
2011	82.06	14^th	105	86.7%
2012	79.69	15^th	107	86.0%
2013	75.89	16^th	106	84.9%
2015	68.01	10^th	98	89.8%
2016	88.43	13^th	111	88.3%
2017	72.16	22^nd	111	80.2%
2018	75.85	19^th	114	83.3%
2019	84.18	17^th	114	85.1%
2021	89.23	9^th	82	89.0%
2022	60.04	42^nd	98	57.1%
2023	54.75	33^rd	123	73.2%

See the entire list of Maine High School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Wells High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	84.89	12^th	92	87.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Wells High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	74.21	21^st	92	77.2%

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.

Data source: Maine Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 2)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, August 20, 2012

I have concerns about a couple of staff members . I won't name anyone yet but I have heard some stories that make me very uncomfortable.
Here is the new 2012 & 2013 Well's High School Blog. There us no censorship there.
A new sounding board for us parents to compare notes.
http://wellshighschool.blogspot.com/ Close Quote

Enrollment information for Wells High School

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	477	477
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	512	512
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	504	504
1994	502	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	503
1995	480	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	481
1996	480	0	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	481
1997	508	0	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	514
1998	500	3	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	504
1999	509	4	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	518
2000	528	5	2	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	541
2001	530	3	3	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	544
2002	529	1	6	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	544
2003	529	1	6	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	544
2004	507	0	5	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	518
2005	487	2	3	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	496
2006	491	2	6	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	505
2007	464	3	2	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	476
2008	462	6	3	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	479
2009	464	8	5	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	485
2010	436	10	4	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	459
2011	409	3	6	8	2	0	10	0	438
2012	409	3	4	10	0	0	8	0	434
2013	403	3	2	9	0	0	6	0	423
2014	428	4	2	7	0	0	8	0	449
2015	427	3	1	6	0	0	9	0	446
2016	415	4	2	4	0	0	9	0	434
2017	425	7	3	1	0	0	7	0	443
2018	401	8	3	5	1	0	6	0	424
2019	402	12	4	4	1	0	4	0	427
2020	407	11	7	4	0	0	4	0	433
2021	382	7	7	3	0	0	4	0	403
2022	390	8	9	10	1	0	4	0	422
2023	373	9	11	13	1	0	8	0	415
2024	368	7	7	10	1	1	8	0	402

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 Wells High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	477	43.6	10.9	n/a
1992	512	40.5	12.6	n/a
1993	504	42.4	11.9	4.2
1994	503	42.2	11.9	8.2
1995	481	40.8	11.8	6.9
1996	481	40.8	11.8	6.9
1997	514	40.5	12.7	9.7
1998	504	40.5	12.4	6.7
1999	518	38.0	13.6	12.9
2000	541	41.0	13.2	9.8
2001	544	43.0	12.7	10.1
2002	544	43.7	12.4	10.1
2003	544	43.7	12.4	10.1
2004	518	44.3	11.7	10.2
2005	496	45.4	10.9	11.9
2006	505	43.6	11.6	15.6
2007	476	40.1	11.9	13.4
2008	479	52.8	9.1	15.9
2009	485	39.8	12.2	16.9
2010	459	39.5	11.6	24.6
2011	438	38.8	11.2	25.1
2012	434	39.2	11.0	8.1
2013	423	40.8	10.3	25.3
2014	449	39.6	11.3	21.2
2015	446	40.0	11.1	17.9
2016	434	38.0	11.4	17.1
2017	443	38.7	11.4	20.8
2018	424	37.6	11.2	18.9
2019	427	37.2	11.4	18.5
2020	433	37.2	11.6	14.3
2021	403	37.1	10.8	15.1
2022	422	36.1	11.6	16.1
2023	415	35.6	11.6	10.1
2024	402	35.1	11.4	13.4

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 Wells High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	477	43.6	10.9	n/a
1992	512	40.5	12.6	n/a
1993	504	42.4	11.9	4.2
1994	503	42.2	11.9	8.2
1995	481	40.8	11.8	6.9
1996	481	40.8	11.8	6.9
1997	514	40.5	12.7	9.7
1998	504	40.5	12.4	6.7
1999	518	38.0	13.6	12.9
2000	541	41.0	13.2	9.8
2001	544	43.0	12.7	10.1
2002	544	43.7	12.4	10.1
2003	544	43.7	12.4	10.1
2004	518	44.3	11.7	10.2
2005	496	45.4	10.9	11.9
2006	505	43.6	11.6	15.6
2007	476	40.1	11.9	13.4
2008	479	52.8	9.1	15.9
2009	485	39.8	12.2	16.9
2010	459	39.5	11.6	24.6
2011	438	38.8	11.2	25.1
2012	434	39.2	11.0	8.1
2013	423	40.8	10.3	25.3
2014	449	39.6	11.3	21.2
2015	446	40.0	11.1	17.9
2016	434	38.0	11.4	17.1
2017	443	38.7	11.4	20.8
2018	424	37.6	11.2	18.9
2019	427	37.2	11.4	18.5
2020	433	37.2	11.6	14.3
2021	403	37.1	10.8	15.1
2022	422	36.1	11.6	16.1
2023	415	35.6	11.6	10.1
2024	402	35.1	11.4	13.4

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 Wells High School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$18,948
2019	$19,189
2020	$20,060
2021	$23,993
2022	$22,130
2023	$23,080

Data source: Maine Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Wells 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 17^th of 114 High schools	Ranks 33^rd of 123 High schools	11.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	427	415	2.8%
African American	12	9	25%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	4	11	175%
Hispanic	4	13	225%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	402	373	7.2%
Two or More Races	4	8	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	18.5%	10.1%	8.4%

Schools Near Wells 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
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
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
Noble High School	Public	8-12	100 Noble Way	North Berwick	03906	York County	Regional School Unit 60/Maine School Admin District 60	No	No	No	No	(207) 284-3000	1,170	98	11.9	28.5%	1,056 (90.3%)	9 (0.8%)	41 (3.5%)	11 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (4.5%)	34.3	79^th of 123 public high schools	35.8%		44.9	68^th of 98 public high schools	30.6%	11	61.7	33.3	35.4	$17,201
Sanford High School	Public	9-12	100 Alumni Blvd	Sanford	04073	York County	Sanford Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 324-4050	1,099	68	16.1	42.4%	935 (85.1%)	33 (3.0%)	50 (4.5%)	20 (1.8%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (5.4%)	33.1	82^nd of 123 public high schools	33.3%		25.2	87^th of 98 public high schools	11.2%	5	56.1	37.4	38.2	$15,969
York High School	Public	9-12	1 Robert Stevens Drive	York	03909	York County	York Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 363-3621	501	52	9.6	14.2%	464 (92.6%)	3 (0.6%)	12 (2.4%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.8%)	70	16^th of 123 public high schools	87.0%		75.8	18^th of 98 public high schools	81.6%	2	76.5	50.0	44.3	$25,445
Marshwood High School	Public	9-12	260 Dow Highway	South Berwick	03908	York County	Regional School Unit 35/Maine School Admin District 35	No	No	No	No	(207) 384-4500	669	51	13.1	9.6%	609 (91.0%)	10 (1.5%)	19 (2.8%)	8 (1.2%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	17 (2.5%)	80.2	9^th of 123 public high schools	92.7%		57.2	47^th of 98 public high schools	52.0%	38	82.6	55.7	47.8	$17,760
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
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
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
Robert W Traip Academy	Public	9-12	12 Williams Avenue	Kittery	03904	York County	Kittery Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 439-1121	296	31	9.6	17.6%	237 (80.1%)	4 (1.4%)	36 (12.2%)	5 (1.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.4%)	43.3	54^th of 123 public high schools	56.1%		32.7	79^th of 98 public high schools	19.4%	25	66.7	43.0	31.3	$23,618

Frequently Asked Questions about Wells High School

What schools feed into Wells High School?

Wells High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Wells Elementary School
Middle : Wells Junior High School

What district is Wells High School in?

Wells-Ogunquit Central School District

Is Wells High School a good school?

Wells High School ranks 33^rd of 123 Maine high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Wells High School?

Students at Wells High School are 92% White, 2% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 2% African American, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Wells High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 402 students attended Wells High School.

Rate Wells High 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.