Margaret Chase Smith

Q: Is Margaret Chase Smith a good school?

Margaret Chase Smith ranks 205 th of 290 Maine elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Summary:

Margaret Chase Smith is an elementary school located in Sanford, Maine, serving grades PK-4 with a total enrollment of 425 students. The school is part of the Sanford Public Schools district, which is ranked 131 out of 177 districts in Maine and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Margaret Chase Smith has a predominantly white student population, with 87.53% of students identifying as white, which is higher than the nearby schools. The school has shown mixed academic performance, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts (50.34%) and Mathematics (54.3%) lower than the state averages in the 2022-2023 school year, but significantly higher in the previous two years. The school also experiences a relatively high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 16.9% to 24.7% over the past three school years, which is higher than the nearby schools. Additionally, Margaret Chase Smith has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 44.71% to 53.16% over the past three school years, suggesting it may be serving a more economically disadvantaged population.

While Margaret Chase Smith faces some challenges, its performance and characteristics are not significantly different from the nearby schools, such as Eric L Knowlton School, North Berwick Elementary School, and Acton Elementary School. The issues the school faces may be more systemic within the Sanford Public Schools district or the surrounding region, and addressing these challenges will require a comprehensive approach that considers the unique needs and circumstances of the school and its student population.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

248 Twombley Rd
Sanford, ME 04073

(207) 324-7586

District: Sanford Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
205^th of 290 Maine Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,591

Student/teacher ratio: 12.2

Number of students: 439

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.5%

African American:

6.2%

Hispanic:

4.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 48.3%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Margaret Chase Smith ranks worse than 70.7% of elementary schools in Maine. It also ranks last among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Sanford Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 37.06. (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 Margaret Chase Smith has the largest elementary school student body size in the Sanford Public Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (84.5%), African American (6.2%), Hispanic (4.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 48.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Sanford Public Schools District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Margaret Chase Smith is 12.2, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Sanford Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Margaret Chase Smith employs 35.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Margaret Chase Smith is $16,591, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Sanford Public Schools District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Margaret Chase Smith was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Sanford Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Sanford Public Schools 131^st of 177 Maine school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Margaret Chase Smith

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Rank History for all students at Margaret Chase Smith

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile
2021	58.58	85^th	228	62.7%
2022	69.05	58^th	210	72.4%
2023	37.06	205^th	290	29.3%

See the entire list of Maine Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Margaret Chase Smith

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	71.45	22^nd	90	75.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at Margaret Chase Smith

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	73.92	23^rd	90	74.4%

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

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Enrollment information for Margaret Chase Smith

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2021	354	5	5	14	1	27	406
2022	341	7	6	16	1	24	395
2023	372	8	7	15	1	22	425
2024	371	27	4	18	1	18	439

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 Margaret Chase Smith

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2021	406	36.3	11.1	51.7
2022	395	35.6	11.0	53.2
2023	425	37.9	11.2	44.7
2024	439	35.9	12.2	48.3

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 Margaret Chase Smith

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2021	406	36.3	11.1	51.7
2022	395	35.6	11.0	53.2
2023	425	37.9	11.2	44.7
2024	439	35.9	12.2	48.3

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 Margaret Chase Smith

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2021	$6,607
2022	$4,151
2023	$16,591

Data source: Maine Department of Education

Schools Near Margaret Chase Smith

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
Margaret Chase Smith	Public	PK, KG-4	248 Twombley Rd	Sanford	04073	York County	Sanford Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 324-7586	439	36	12.2	48.3%	371 (84.5%)	27 (6.2%)	18 (4.1%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	18 (4.1%)	37.1	205^th of 290 public elementary schools	29.3%		69.1	58^th of 210 public elementary schools	72.4%	147	50.3	54.3		$16,591
Sanford Pride Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	708 Main Street	Sanford	04073	York County	Sanford Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 324-8454	378	33	11.5	68.3%	315 (83.3%)	22 (5.8%)	17 (4.5%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.0%)	53.5	153^rd of 290 public elementary schools	47.2%		36.1	137^th of 210 public elementary schools	34.8%	16	61.5	55.1		$18,432
Carl J Lamb School	Public	PK, KG-4	233 Shaws Ridge Road	Springvale	04083	York County	Sanford Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 324-8481	424	42	10.0	53.5%	365 (86.1%)	9 (2.1%)	32 (7.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (3.5%)	42.5	188^th of 290 public elementary schools	35.2%		18.4	174^th of 210 public elementary schools	17.1%	14	56.7	52.7		$19,115
Alfred Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	21 Sanford Road	Alfred	04002	York County	Regional School Unit 57/Maine School Admin District 57	No	No	No	No	(207) 324-3831	189	17	11.1	39.2%	171 (90.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.7%)	2 (1.1%)	2 (1.1%)	1 (0.5%)	6 (3.2%)	63	118^th of 290 public elementary schools	59.3%		67.3	63^rd of 210 public elementary schools	70.0%	55	67.7	66.7	15.9	$17,152
Hanson School	Public	K-3	53 Upper Guinea Road	Lebanon	04027	York County	Regional School Unit 60/Maine School Admin District 60	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 457-1299	257	24	10.8	34.6%	237 (92.2%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (1.9%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.1%)	87.3	32^nd of 290 public elementary schools	89.0%		87	15^th of 210 public elementary schools	92.9%	17	73.5	72.1		$17,063
Lebanon Elementary School	Public	4-5	65 Upper Guinea Road	Lebanon	04027	York County	Regional School Unit 60/Maine School Admin District 60	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 457-1126	148	14	10.9	33.1%	142 (95.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)								(n/a)	66.5	52.0	22.2	$20,009
North Berwick Elementary School	Public	K-4	25 Varney Road	North Berwick	03906	York County	Regional School Unit 60/Maine School Admin District 60	No	No	No	No	(207) 676-9811	254	23	10.9	24.4%	233 (91.7%)	2 (0.8%)	5 (2.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.3%)	72	85^th of 290 public elementary schools	70.7%		65.9	67^th of 210 public elementary schools	68.1%	18	68.0	61.6		$16,593
Acton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	700 Milton Mills Road	Acton	04001	York County	Acton Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 636-2100	245	19	12.8	24.9%	230 (93.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.3%)	61.1	122^nd of 290 public elementary schools	57.9%		72.7	52^nd of 210 public elementary schools	75.2%	70	72.6	48.6	36.0	$22,025
Lyman Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	39 Schoolhouse Road	Lyman	04002	York County	Regional School Unit 57/Maine School Admin District 57	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 499-7228	243	22	11.1	31.7%	222 (91.4%)	1 (0.4%)	8 (3.3%)	6 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.5%)	72.8	79^th of 290 public elementary schools	72.8%		83.6	24^th of 210 public elementary schools	88.6%	55	73.7	65.7	15.2	$17,600
Shapleigh Memorial School	Public	PK, KG-5	467 Shapleigh Corner Road	Shapleigh	04076	York County	Regional School Unit 57/Maine School Admin District 57	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 636-1751	160	14	11.7	31.3%	146 (91.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.8%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.8%)	51.7	158^th of 290 public elementary schools	45.5%					(n/a)	62.1	53.0		$15,987

Frequently Asked Questions about Margaret Chase Smith

What district is Margaret Chase Smith in?

Sanford Public Schools

Is Margaret Chase Smith a good school?

Margaret Chase Smith ranks 205^th of 290 Maine elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Margaret Chase Smith?

In the 2023-24 school year, 439 students attended Margaret Chase Smith.

What is the racial makeup of Margaret Chase Smith?

Students at Margaret Chase Smith are 85% White, 6% African American, 4% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

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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.