Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary· 7 schools in district

Ames Elementary School

165 New England Road, Searsmont, ME 04973RSU 71 →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 02–05Non-Charter
126
Students
Total enrolled
$21,841
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↑ 52% vs nat'l
13.3 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↓ 14% vs nat'l
41/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 19% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Small public school
Serves 126 students in grades 02–05 in Searsmont, Maine.
52% above average funding
District spends $21,841 per pupil, 52% more than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 41th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Ames Elementary School is a small elementary in Searsmont, Maine, serving grades 02–05 with 126 students. The district invests $21,841 per student — 52% above the national average of $14,347, and maintains a 13.3:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller than the national norm of 15.4:1. About 57% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body.

Student Body & Demographics at Ames Elementary School

126
Total Students
13.3 : 1
Student:Teacher
57%
Free Lunch
10
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (02–05) are served by this school
Gender Distribution61 male · 65 female
48%
52%
Male 48%Female 52%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility57%
National avg 52% · 72 students
Student Composition
93%
Asian1%
White93%
Hispanic / Latino3%
Black1%
Multiracial2%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 231482200450

Academic Outcomes at Ames Elementary School

Neighborhood Opportunity Score
41
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 41th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 33th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 04973

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$21,841Above avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$21,841
State avg
$25,124
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$9,610
Student Support$4,150
Administration$2,621
Operations$3,276
Other$2,184
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $21,841 spent per student, an estimated $9,675 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
43%
55%
State government
42.6%
Local (property tax)
54.8%
Federal programs
2.6%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Above-average funding — $21,841/student vs $14,347 nationally
  • 13.3:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller classes than the national norm of 15.4:1
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
Captain Albert W. Stevens SchoolEast Belfast SchoolGladys Weymouth Elem SchoolKermit S Nickerson School
↓
Middle
Troy A Howard Middle School
↓
High School
Belfast Area High School
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelElementary
Grades02 – 05
Location—
CountyWaldo County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictRSU 71 →
Phone: (207)342-5100
NCES ID: 231482200450
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Searsmont seeking a public elementary school, especially those prioritizing above-average resources and classroom investment. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in RSU 71
High
Belfast Area High School
496 students · 09–12
● 41 opp37% FRL
Mid
Troy A Howard Middle School
340 students · 06–08
● 41 opp45% FRL
Elem
Captain Albert W. Stevens School
258 students · PK–05
● 41 opp45% FRL
Elem
East Belfast School
97 students · PK–02
● 41 opp65% FRL
Elem
Gladys Weymouth Elem School
74 students · PK–01
● 41 opp46% FRL
Elem
Kermit S Nickerson School
60 students · 03–05
● 41 opp65% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
165 New England Road, Searsmont, ME 04973
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

Elementary
1
How is early reading and literacy taught?
Look for evidence-based, structured approaches
2
How does the school communicate with families?
Frequency, channels, translation support
3
What support exists for students who fall behind?
Tutoring, intervention programs, IEPs
4
What's the average class size here?
National avg is ~23 for elementary
5
What before/after-school programs are available?
Important for working parents
6
How is student social-emotional wellbeing supported?
Counselors, community circles, conflict resolution
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.