Durham Community School

Summary:

Durham Community School is an exceptional elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Durham, Maine, with a student population of 466 as of the 2022-2023 school year. The school consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in the state, with exceptional academic performance that sets it apart from many of the surrounding schools.

Durham Community School's students have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, with 74.55% proficient or better in English Language Arts and 66.79% proficient or better in Mathematics, significantly higher than the state averages. The school also performs exceptionally well across different student subgroups, including female, male, White, and low socioeconomic status students, indicating a commitment to equity and inclusive practices. Compared to nearby schools like Williams-Cone School and Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary, Durham Community School stands out for its consistently high academic performance, strong student-teacher ratio, and more diverse student population.

While Durham Community School's academic performance is exceptional, there may be opportunities to further improve in certain areas, such as Science, where the proficiency rate is lower than in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Additionally, the school's chronic absenteeism rate has increased, which is an area that the school may want to address. Overall, Durham Community School is an exceptional asset to the Durham community and the broader region, as part of the Regional School Unit 05 district, which is ranked 26 out of 177 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

 654 Hallowell Road
       Durham, ME  04222


(207) 353-9333

District: Regional School Unit 05

SchoolDigger Rank:
50th of 290 Maine Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $17,705 Help


Students who attend Durham Community School usually attend:

High:    Freeport High School

Student/teacher ratio:  11.5 Help
Number of students:  466

Racial breakdown:

White:
95.5%
Hispanic:
1.5%
Two or more races:
1.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  18.5% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Durham Community School ranks better than 82.8% of elementary schools in Maine. It also ranks first among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Regional School Unit 05 District! (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 84.33. (See more...)
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Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Durham Community School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Regional School Unit 05 District. Racial makeup is: White (95.5%), Hispanic (1.5%), two or more races (1.5%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 18.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Durham Community School is 11.5. 2 elementary schools in the Regional School Unit 05 District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
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Compare Durham Community School employs 40.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Durham Community School is $17,705. 2 elementary schools in the Regional School Unit 05 District spend more per student.
Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Regional School Unit 05:

SchoolDigger ranks Regional School Unit 05 26th of 177 Maine school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Durham Community School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Durham Community School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools ME State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2012 56.48 94th 258 63.6%
2013 64.30 73rd 261 72.0%
2015 94.48 11th 284 96.1%
2016 81.12 27th 255 89.4%
2017 85.80 17th 256 93.4%
2018 90.20 13th 254 94.9%
2019 89.03 18th 258 93.0%
2021 85.82 17th 228 92.5%
2022 89.65 7th 210 96.7%
2023 84.33 50th 290 82.8%
See the entire list of Maine Elementary School Rankings!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools ME State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 88.22 7th 64 89.1%
See the entire list of Best Maine Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Durham Community School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools ME State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 92.57 5th 153 96.7%
2021 86.90 5th 90 94.4%
See the entire list of Best Maine Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Durham Community School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools ME State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 72.70 33rd 153 78.4%
2021 88.88 5th 90 94.4%
See the entire list of Best Maine Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Durham Community School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools ME State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 80.24 6th 48 87.5%
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.

Durham Community School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Maine Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Durham Community School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2010 377 1 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 380
2011 407 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 409
2012 424 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 427
2013 415 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 418
2014 418 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 423
2015 387 0 3 1 1 0 1 0 393
2016 431 1 3 1 1 0 1 0 438
2017 434 0 2 1 1 0 1 0 439
2018 426 0 2 2 1 0 1 0 432
2019 417 2 1 0 1 0 2 0 423
2020 426 4 1 1 4 0 3 0 439
2021 420 2 0 3 3 0 3 0 431
2022 441 2 0 7 2 0 5 0 457
2023 445 3 2 7 2 0 7 0 466

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 Durham Community School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2010 380 28.5 13.3 26.3
2011 409 31.3 13.0 26.9
2012 427 33.9 12.5 n/a
2013 418 34.0 12.2 29.4
2014 423 35.0 12.0 24.6
2015 393 34.0 11.5 23.7
2016 438 36.0 12.1 23.5
2017 439 34.8 12.6 23.7
2018 432 35.0 12.3 20.1
2019 423 36.9 11.4 18.4
2020 439 37.7 11.6 24.4
2021 431 41.1 10.4 22.5
2022 457 39.6 11.5 17.7
2023 466 40.5 11.5 18.5

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 Durham Community School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2010 380 28.5 13.3 26.3
2011 409 31.3 13.0 26.9
2012 427 33.9 12.5 n/a
2013 418 34.0 12.2 29.4
2014 423 35.0 12.0 24.6
2015 393 34.0 11.5 23.7
2016 438 36.0 12.1 23.5
2017 439 34.8 12.6 23.7
2018 432 35.0 12.3 20.1
2019 423 36.9 11.4 18.4
2020 439 37.7 11.6 24.4
2021 431 41.1 10.4 22.5
2022 457 39.6 11.5 17.7
2023 466 40.5 11.5 18.5

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 Durham Community School

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $14,287
2019 $15,055
2020 $15,797
2021 $15,804
2022 $17,501
2023 $17,705

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Durham 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 18th of 258 Elementary schoolsRanks 50th of 290 Elementary schools
 10.3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
All Grades English Language Arts (Durham Community School)73.292.3
 19.1%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Regional School Unit 05)70.592.4
 22%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Maine)55.983.8
 27.9%
All Grades Mathematics (Durham Community School)60.293.4
 33.2%
   All Grades Mathematics (Regional School Unit 05)54.992
 37.1%
   All Grades Mathematics (Maine)35.781.3
 45.7%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students423466
 10.2%
African American23
 50%
American Indian12
 100%
Asian12
 100%
Hispanic07
Pacific Islander00
White417445
 6.7%
Two or More Races27
 250%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients18.4%18.5%
 0%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Durham Community School

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

High : Freeport High School

Students at Durham Community School are 95% White, 2% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Durham Community School ranks 50th of 290 Maine elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 466 students attended Durham 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.





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