Downeast School

Q: Is Downeast School a good school?

Downeast School ranks 192 nd of 290 Maine elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Downeast School is an elementary school located in Bangor, Maine, serving grades PK-3 with a total enrollment of 294 students. The school is part of the Bangor Public Schools district, which is ranked 39 out of 177 districts in Maine and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Downeast School has a higher percentage of White students compared to the state average, its academic performance, as measured by the percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics, is lower than the district and state averages. In 2022-2023, only 59.02% of Downeast students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 69.98% for the district and 64.63% for the state. In Mathematics, only 49.18% of Downeast students were proficient or better, compared to 59.38% for the district and 48.68% for the state. Additionally, Downeast School has a significantly higher chronic absenteeism rate of 33.4% compared to nearby schools, and a very high percentage of students (89.8%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

Downeast School's performance has been declining over the past few years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 180 out of 284 elementary schools in 2014-2015 to 192 out of 290 in 2022-2023. The school's performance is particularly low for male students and White students, ranking in the bottom 10% of Maine elementary schools in these subgroups in 2018-2019. Compared to nearby schools in the Bangor Public Schools district, such as Fruit Street School, Abraham Lincoln School, and Fourteenth Street School, Downeast School's performance is significantly lower, with higher academic achievement, lower chronic absenteeism, and lower percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-3

100 Moosehead Blvd
Bangor, ME 04401

(207) 941-6240

District: Bangor Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
192^nd of 290 Maine Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,526

Students who attend Downeast School usually attend:

Middle:	James F. Doughty School
High:	Bangor High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.6

Number of students: 311

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.8%

Two or more races:

10.0%

Hispanic:

8.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 84.9%

See top rated Maine elementary schools

Compare Downeast School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Downeast School ranks worse than 66.2% of elementary schools in Maine. It also ranks last among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Bangor Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 41.25. (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 (76.8%), two or more races (10%), Hispanic (8.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 84.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Bangor Public Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Downeast School is 11.6. 3 elementary schools in the Bangor Public Schools District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Downeast School employs 26.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Downeast School is $19,526. 3 elementary schools in the Bangor Public Schools District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Bangor Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Bangor Public Schools 39^th of 177 Maine school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Downeast School

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Rank History for all students at Downeast School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile
2015	44.32	180^th	284	36.6%
2019	29.77	197^th	258	23.6%
2021	7.46	207^th	228	9.2%
2022	6.28	194^th	210	7.6%
2023	41.25	192^nd	290	33.8%

See the entire list of Maine Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Downeast School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	63.00	28^th	82	65.9%

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

Rank History for Female students at Downeast School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	46.79	85^th	153	44.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Downeast School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	12.90	147^th	153	3.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Downeast School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	8.64	45^th	48	6.3%

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 Downeast School

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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	393	393
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	334	334
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	360	360
1994	332	7	5	5	10	n/a	n/a	-16	343
1995	315	7	5	3	4	n/a	n/a	0	334
1996	315	7	5	3	4	n/a	n/a	0	334
1997	341	9	6	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	359
1998	290	8	3	2	4	n/a	n/a	0	307
1999	281	14	6	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	303
2000	281	9	3	7	4	n/a	n/a	0	304
2001	285	10	5	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	305
2002	230	10	10	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	260
2003	230	10	10	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	260
2004	232	5	8	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	250
2005	244	10	7	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	268
2006	248	9	4	4	4	n/a	n/a	0	269
2007	264	13	8	2	8	n/a	n/a	0	295
2008	268	14	5	2	5	n/a	n/a	0	294
2009	258	19	3	6	8	n/a	n/a	0	294
2010	285	14	6	6	11	n/a	n/a	0	322
2011	302	14	5	6	7	0	5	0	339
2012	293	15	4	5	4	1	13	0	335
2013	313	11	3	11	6	1	31	0	376
2014	321	11	3	19	4	0	29	0	387
2015	304	6	2	15	4	0	43	0	374
2016	286	7	1	16	2	1	39	0	352
2017	278	5	1	15	3	0	27	0	329
2018	252	7	1	12	6	0	29	0	307
2019	235	8	0	12	6	0	32	0	293
2020	230	6	0	16	4	0	31	0	287
2021	202	5	0	16	4	0	28	0	255
2022	211	8	0	18	4	0	33	0	274
2023	225	11	1	20	3	0	34	0	294
2024	239	10	1	27	3	0	31	0	311

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 Downeast School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	393	24.9	15.7	n/a
1992	334	25.8	12.9	n/a
1993	360	22.1	16.3	71.7
1994	343	23.4	14.7	70.5
1995	334	23.4	14.3	74.6
1996	334	23.4	14.3	74.6
1997	359	23.0	15.6	81.3
1998	307	24.7	12.4	81.4
1999	303	23.0	13.2	89.1
2000	304	24.9	12.2	85.2
2001	305	24.9	12.2	81.3
2002	260	25.9	10.0	80.8
2003	260	25.9	10.0	80.8
2004	250	24.9	10.0	84
2005	268	26.9	10.0	84.7
2006	269	26.9	10.0	84.8
2007	295	26.8	11.0	81.7
2008	294	42.3	7.0	79.9
2009	294	28.2	10.4	79.3
2010	322	25.7	12.5	85.4
2011	339	29.2	11.6	88.5
2012	335	29.2	11.4	n/a
2013	376	29.2	12.8	90.4
2014	387	29.6	13.0	90.7
2015	374	27.0	13.8	93.9
2016	352	28.0	12.5	92
2017	329	26.7	12.3	94.8
2018	307	26.2	11.7	90.6
2019	293	26.0	11.2	89.4
2020	287	22.0	13.0	92
2021	255	25.5	10.0	94.1
2022	274	27.6	9.9	90.5
2023	294	28.8	10.2	89.8
2024	311	26.6	11.6	84.9

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 Downeast School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	393	24.9	15.7	n/a
1992	334	25.8	12.9	n/a
1993	360	22.1	16.3	71.7
1994	343	23.4	14.7	70.5
1995	334	23.4	14.3	74.6
1996	334	23.4	14.3	74.6
1997	359	23.0	15.6	81.3
1998	307	24.7	12.4	81.4
1999	303	23.0	13.2	89.1
2000	304	24.9	12.2	85.2
2001	305	24.9	12.2	81.3
2002	260	25.9	10.0	80.8
2003	260	25.9	10.0	80.8
2004	250	24.9	10.0	84
2005	268	26.9	10.0	84.7
2006	269	26.9	10.0	84.8
2007	295	26.8	11.0	81.7
2008	294	42.3	7.0	79.9
2009	294	28.2	10.4	79.3
2010	322	25.7	12.5	85.4
2011	339	29.2	11.6	88.5
2012	335	29.2	11.4	n/a
2013	376	29.2	12.8	90.4
2014	387	29.6	13.0	90.7
2015	374	27.0	13.8	93.9
2016	352	28.0	12.5	92
2017	329	26.7	12.3	94.8
2018	307	26.2	11.7	90.6
2019	293	26.0	11.2	89.4
2020	287	22.0	13.0	92
2021	255	25.5	10.0	94.1
2022	274	27.6	9.9	90.5
2023	294	28.8	10.2	89.8
2024	311	26.6	11.6	84.9

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 Downeast School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$14,215
2019	$15,845
2020	$15,728
2021	$19,610
2022	$18,501
2023	$19,526

Data source: Maine Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Downeast 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 197^th of 258 Elementary schools	Ranks 192^nd of 290 Elementary schools	10.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	293	294	0.3%
African American	8	11	37.5%
American Indian	6	3	50%
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	12	20	66.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	235	225	4.3%
Two or More Races	32	34	6.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	89.4%	89.8%	0.4%

Schools Near Downeast 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
Downeast School	Public	PK, KG-3	100 Moosehead Blvd	Bangor	04401	Penobscot County	Bangor Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 941-6240	311	27	11.6	84.9%	239 (76.8%)	10 (3.2%)	27 (8.7%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (10.0%)	41.3	192^nd of 290 public elementary schools	33.8%		6.3	194^th of 210 public elementary schools	7.6%	2	59.0	49.2		$19,526
Mary Snow School	Public	4-5	435 Broadway	Bangor	04401	Penobscot County	Bangor Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 941-6290	243	21	11.6	34.2%	179 (73.7%)	15 (6.2%)	25 (10.3%)	7 (2.9%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.2%)								(n/a)	72.3	71.0	31.3	$17,997
Fourteenth Street School	Public	PK, KG-3	224 Fourteenth Street	Bangor	04401	Penobscot County	Bangor Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 941-6350	153	12	13.0	32.0%	125 (81.7%)	5 (3.3%)	9 (5.9%)	4 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (6.5%)	97.3	4^th of 290 public elementary schools	98.6%					(n/a)	85.0			$15,499
Fairmount School	Public	4-5	58 Thirteenth Street	Bangor	04401	Penobscot County	Bangor Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 941-6260	257	23	11.0	65.0%	206 (80.2%)	3 (1.2%)	17 (6.6%)	2 (0.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (10.5%)								(n/a)	68.2	59.4	31.9	$20,464
Vine Street School	Public	PK, KG-3	66 Vine Street	Bangor	04401	Penobscot County	Bangor Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 941-6300	176	18	9.9	57.4%	142 (80.7%)	4 (2.3%)	10 (5.7%)	3 (1.7%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (9.1%)	78.7	65^th of 290 public elementary schools	77.6%		38.7	127^th of 210 public elementary schools	39.5%	62	69.2	67.3		$21,128
Fruit Street School	Public	PK, KG-3	175 Fruit Street	Bangor	04401	Penobscot County	Bangor Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 941-6270	322	22	14.4	29.8%	249 (77.3%)	8 (2.5%)	20 (6.2%)	14 (4.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (9.3%)	93.2	15^th of 290 public elementary schools	94.8%		67.5	62^nd of 210 public elementary schools	70.5%	47	76.9	80.8		$15,303
Abraham Lincoln School	Public	PK, KG-3	45 Forest Avenue	Bangor	04401	Penobscot County	Bangor Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 941-6280	176	15	11.5	48.9%	130 (73.9%)	8 (4.5%)	9 (5.1%)	15 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (8.0%)	94.1	11^th of 290 public elementary schools	96.2%		36	138^th of 210 public elementary schools	34.3%	127	80.0	74.4		$20,283
Patricia A Duran School	Public	PK, KG-4	235 Billings Road	Hermon	04401	Penobscot County	Hermon Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 848-4081	463	36	12.7	22.7%	431 (93.1%)	6 (1.3%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.3%)	68.3	102^nd of 290 public elementary schools	64.8%		34.9	140^th of 210 public elementary schools	33.3%	38	63.6	66.5		$14,109
Brewer Community School	Public	PK, KG-8	92 Pendleton Street	Brewer	04412	Penobscot County	Brewer Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 404-5700	860	72	11.8	39.7%	737 (85.7%)	16 (1.9%)	40 (4.7%)	8 (0.9%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (6.4%)	66.1	108^th of 290 public elementary schools	62.8%		59.9	81^st of 210 public elementary schools	61.4%	27	72.7	51.9	38.8	$17,353
Glenburn Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	991 Hudson Road	Glenburn	04401	Penobscot County	Glenburn Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 947-8769	389	29	13.4	24.9%	358 (92.0%)	2 (0.5%)	12 (3.1%)	6 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.3%)	72.5	82^nd of 290 public elementary schools	71.7%		66.7	64^th of 210 public elementary schools	69.5%	18	68.9	60.8	44.3	$17,340

Frequently Asked Questions about Downeast School

How many students attend Downeast School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 311 students attended Downeast School.

What is the racial makeup of Downeast School?

Students at Downeast School are 77% White, 10% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic, 3% African American.

What schools do graduates of Downeast School attend?

Students who attend Downeast School usually go on to attend:

Middle : James F. Doughty School
High : Bangor High School

Is Downeast School a good school?

Downeast School ranks 192^nd of 290 Maine elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Downeast School in?

Bangor Public Schools

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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.