Poland Community School

Summary:

Poland Community School is an elementary school serving 436 students in grades PK-6 in Poland, Maine, which is part of the Regional School Unit 16 district. While the school has a significantly higher percentage of white students compared to nearby schools, it has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the years, dropping from 51 out of 261 Maine elementary schools in 2012-2013 to 226 out of 290 in the most recent 2022-2023 school year.

Poland Community School's rankings for female students and low socioeconomic status students are particularly low, indicating potential achievement gaps for these subgroups. Additionally, the school has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 29.4% in 2020-2021 to 40.3% in 2021-2022, which is notably higher than the nearby Minot Consolidated School and Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls. Poland Community School's proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are also lower than the regional and state averages, with a particularly large gap in Science proficiency.

The data suggests that Poland Community School could benefit from a closer examination of its instructional practices, resource allocation, and support systems to identify areas for improvement and leverage the strengths of the school and its community. By addressing the challenges of declining academic performance, equity issues, and high chronic absenteeism, Poland Community School may be able to improve student outcomes and better serve its community.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

1250 Maine Street
Poland, ME 04274

(207) 998-4915

District: Regional School Unit 16

SchoolDigger Rank:
226^th of 290 Maine Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,265

Students who attend Poland Community School usually attend:

Middle:	Bruce M Whittier Middle School
High:	Poland Regional High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.6

Number of students: 432

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.0%

Hispanic:

3.5%

Two or more races:

2.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 34.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Poland Community School ranks worse than 77.9% of elementary schools in Maine. It also ranks 2^nd among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Regional School Unit 16 District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 30.36. (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 Poland Community School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Regional School Unit 16 District. Racial makeup is: White (94%), Hispanic (3.5%), two or more races (2.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 34.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Poland Community School is 11.6. 1 elementary schools in the Regional School Unit 16 District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Poland Community School employs 37.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Poland Community School is $15,265, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Regional School Unit 16 District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Poland Community School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Regional School Unit 16:

SchoolDigger ranks Regional School Unit 16 110^th of 177 Maine school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Poland Community School

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Rank History for all students at Poland Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile
2012	50.78	121^st	258	53.1%
2013	68.75	51^st	261	80.5%
2015	72.91	86^th	284	69.7%
2016	63.04	81^st	255	68.2%
2017	61.13	90^th	256	64.8%
2018	58.00	98^th	254	61.4%
2019	57.99	95^th	258	63.2%
2021	35.09	146^th	228	36.0%
2022	32.93	144^th	210	31.4%
2023	30.36	226^th	290	22.1%

See the entire list of Maine Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Poland Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	30.35	46^th	64	28.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Poland Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	64.49	47^th	153	69.3%
2021	18.25	68^th	90	24.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Poland Community School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	47.75	75^th	153	51.0%
2021	52.18	44^th	90	51.1%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4.5)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Tuesday, July 25, 2017

I moved to Poland strictly because of this school system and wanted the best for my daughters. The teachers are very well educated and have a great approach when it comes to teaching. My oldest is in 1st, middle child in K and youngest in Pre-K. Looking forward to many more years with the Poland Schools. Would highly recommend!!! Very pleased with my choice! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Poland Community School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2010	415	6	2	2	4	n/a	n/a	429
2011	435	4	3	1	2	0	14	459
2012	436	6	3	1	4	0	17	467
2013	444	4	2	4	0	0	12	466
2014	451	4	1	7	0	0	12	475
2015	454	3	4	9	0	0	16	486
2016	441	1	4	6	0	0	17	469
2017	434	0	3	6	0	0	16	459
2018	422	1	1	9	0	0	15	448
2019	446	1	2	10	0	0	13	472
2020	454	1	2	13	0	0	11	481
2021	398	1	2	12	0	0	10	423
2022	412	0	2	12	0	0	6	432
2023	415	0	0	15	0	0	6	436
2024	406	1	1	15	0	0	9	432

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 Poland Community School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	429	38.3	11.2	42.7
2011	459	31.7	14.4	41
2012	467	34.4	13.5	n/a
2013	466	35.2	13.2	39.7
2014	475	35.2	13.4	43.2
2015	486	36.0	13.5	48.6
2016	469	36.0	13.0	50.3
2017	459	33.4	13.7	50.5
2018	448	33.4	13.4	44.6
2019	472	35.9	13.1	45.1
2020	481	34.4	13.9	40.7
2021	423	33.4	12.6	33.8
2022	432	33.5	12.8	35.9
2023	436	35.1	12.4	38.5
2024	432	37.1	11.6	34.5

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 Poland Community School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	429	38.3	11.2	42.7
2011	459	31.7	14.4	41
2012	467	34.4	13.5	n/a
2013	466	35.2	13.2	39.7
2014	475	35.2	13.4	43.2
2015	486	36.0	13.5	48.6
2016	469	36.0	13.0	50.3
2017	459	33.4	13.7	50.5
2018	448	33.4	13.4	44.6
2019	472	35.9	13.1	45.1
2020	481	34.4	13.9	40.7
2021	423	33.4	12.6	33.8
2022	432	33.5	12.8	35.9
2023	436	35.1	12.4	38.5
2024	432	37.1	11.6	34.5

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 Poland Community School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$11,910
2019	$11,567
2020	$11,936
2021	$15,171
2022	$14,905
2023	$15,265

Data source: Maine Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Poland Community 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 95^th of 258 Elementary schools	Ranks 226^th of 290 Elementary schools	41.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
All Grades English Language Arts (Poland Community School)	53	84	31%
All Grades English Language Arts (Regional School Unit 16)	54	83.8	29.7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Maine)	55.9	83.8	27.9%
All Grades Mathematics (Poland Community School)	46.3	74.9	28.6%
All Grades Mathematics (Regional School Unit 16)	39.1	81.1	42%
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	472	436	7.6%
African American	1	0	100%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	10	15	50%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	446	415	7%
Two or More Races	13	6	53.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	45.1%	38.5%	6.6%

Schools Near Poland Community 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
Poland Community School	Public	PK, KG-6	1250 Maine Street	Poland	04274	Androscoggin County	Regional School Unit 16	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 998-4915	432	37	11.6	34.5%	406 (94.0%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (3.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.1%)	30.4	226^th of 290 public elementary schools	22.1%		32.9	144^th of 210 public elementary schools	31.4%	82	59.8	41.6	17.9	$15,265
Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls	Public	PK, KG-6	129 Elm Street	Mechanic Falls	04256	Androscoggin County	Regional School Unit 16	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 345-3381	231	23	10.2	48.5%	213 (92.2%)	2 (0.9%)	8 (3.5%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.0%)	9.6	281^st of 290 public elementary schools	3.1%		19.1	172^nd of 210 public elementary schools	18.1%	109	50.0	27.9	21.4	$18,010
Minot Consolidated School	Public	PK, KG-6	23 Shaw Hill Road	Minot	04258	Androscoggin County	Regional School Unit 16	No	No	No	No	(207) 346-6471	215	19	11.6	27.4%	208 (96.7%)	1 (0.5%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	59.4	130^th of 290 public elementary schools	55.2%		73.9	51^st of 210 public elementary schools	75.7%	79	65.3	59.5	17.9	$16,173
Otisfield Community School	Public	PK, KG-6	416 Powhattan Road	Otisfield	04270	Oxford County	Regional School Unit 17/Maine School Admin District 17	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 627-4208	125	11	11.2	48.0%	113 (90.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.8%)	60	127^th of 290 public elementary schools	56.2%					(n/a)	73.6	45.3		$17,564
Oxford Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	79 Pleasant Street	Oxford	04270	Oxford County	Regional School Unit 17/Maine School Admin District 17	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 539-4456	320	29	10.9	60.6%	299 (93.4%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.7%)	20.7	258^th of 290 public elementary schools	11.0%		4.3	196^th of 210 public elementary schools	6.7%	62	59.1	28.2		$16,709
Memorial School	Public	K-2	86 Intervale Road	New Gloucester	04260	Cumberland County	Regional School Unit 15/Maine School Admin District 15	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 926-4322	190	17	10.9	30.0%	185 (97.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.6%)								(n/a)				$20,848
Fairview School	Public	PK, KG-6	397 Minot Avenue	Auburn	04210	Androscoggin County	Auburn Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 784-3559	495	33	15.2	38.6%	446 (90.1%)	15 (3.0%)	14 (2.8%)	4 (0.8%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (2.6%)	80.3	61^st of 290 public elementary schools	79.0%		74.6	49^th of 210 public elementary schools	76.7%	12	76.8	67.4	26.2	$14,649
Park Avenue Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	161 Park Avenue	Auburn	04210	Androscoggin County	Auburn Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 333-6657	340	29	11.6	61.5%	170 (50.0%)	139 (40.9%)	17 (5.0%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.2%)	30.3	228^th of 290 public elementary schools	21.4%		15.1	178^th of 210 public elementary schools	15.2%	50	59.4	43.1	11.8	$15,414
Sherwood Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	32 Sherwood Drive	Auburn	04210	Androscoggin County	Auburn Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 783-8526	292	27	10.6	69.2%	234 (80.1%)	20 (6.8%)	15 (5.1%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	18 (6.2%)	16.9	267^th of 290 public elementary schools	7.9%		22	163^rd of 210 public elementary schools	22.4%	104	47.6	40.2		$16,530
Washburn School	Public	PK, KG-6	35 Lake Auburn Avenue	Auburn	04210	Androscoggin County	Auburn Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 784-5467	223	19	11.7	69.1%	180 (80.7%)	15 (6.7%)	6 (2.7%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	18 (8.1%)	31.1	224^th of 290 public elementary schools	22.8%		11.1	186^th of 210 public elementary schools	11.4%	38	57.4	43.4		$16,572

Frequently Asked Questions about Poland Community School

Is Poland Community School a good school?

Poland Community School ranks in the bottom 22.1% of Maine elementary schools.

What district is Poland Community School in?

Regional School Unit 16

What schools do graduates of Poland Community School attend?

Students who attend Poland Community School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bruce M Whittier Middle School
High : Poland Regional High School

What is the racial makeup of Poland Community School?

Students at Poland Community School are 94% White, 3% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Poland Community School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 432 students attended Poland Community 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.