Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls

Summary:

Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls is an elementary school serving grades PK-6 in Mechanic Falls, Maine, with a student population of 245. The school is part of the Regional School Unit 16 district, which is ranked 110 out of 177 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls has consistently underperformed compared to the state and its own district averages on standardized tests, with only 50% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, 27.87% in math, and 21.43% in science. The school also struggles with high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching 39.4% in 2021-2022, and has a relatively high percentage of students (over 40%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-income families. Additionally, the school ranked in the bottom quartile of Maine elementary schools for both male students and low socioeconomic status students in 2018-2019, suggesting significant achievement gaps for these subgroups.

In contrast, the nearby East Auburn Community School, which is part of the Auburn Public Schools district, has consistently outperformed Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls and the other nearby schools in the Regional School Unit 16 district, ranking among the top 5% of Maine elementary schools in recent years. The Minot Consolidated School and Poland Community School, which are also part of the Regional School Unit 16 district, have higher academic proficiency rates, lower chronic absenteeism, and better overall rankings compared to Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

129 Elm Street
Mechanic Falls, ME 04256

(207) 345-3381

District: Regional School Unit 16

SchoolDigger Rank:
281^st of 290 Maine Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,010

Students who attend Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls usually attend:

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

Student/teacher ratio: 10.2

Number of students: 231

Racial breakdown:

White:

92.2%

Hispanic:

3.5%

Two or more races:

3.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 48.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls ranks worse than 96.9% of elementary schools in Maine. It also ranks last among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Regional School Unit 16 District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.59. (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 (92.2%), Hispanic (3.5%), two or more races (3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 48.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Regional School Unit 16 District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls is 10.2, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Regional School Unit 16 District! (See more...)

Compare Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls employs 22.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls is $18,010, which is the highest among 3 elementary schools in the Regional School Unit 16 District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls 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 Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls

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Rank History for all students at Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile
2012	60.30	79^th	258	69.4%
2013	70.09	47^th	261	82.0%
2015	42.20	194^th	284	31.7%
2016	34.84	184^th	255	27.8%
2017	23.34	217^th	256	15.2%
2018	24.95	216^th	254	15.0%
2019	37.76	173^rd	258	32.9%
2021	15.50	184^th	228	19.3%
2022	19.11	172^nd	210	18.1%
2023	9.59	281^st	290	3.1%

See the entire list of Maine Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	10.87	76^th	82	7.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	61.60	53^rd	153	65.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	37.03	110^th	153	28.1%

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: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent on FaceBook
Friday, February 1, 2013

Elm Street School has nurturing, caring staff, and there is a wonderful community there. I am proud to have one child who went through ESS and two others who are currently attending there. It is a welcoming school with teachers who do their jobs with professionalism and true love of children. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2010	319	6	4	1	0	n/a	n/a	330
2011	283	4	0	1	0	0	0	288
2012	278	5	2	2	0	0	1	288
2013	256	3	4	1	0	0	2	266
2014	272	4	5	0	0	0	5	286
2015	260	6	4	2	0	0	4	276
2016	280	3	2	4	0	1	5	295
2017	271	4	2	6	0	1	3	287
2018	265	3	2	7	1	2	2	282
2019	272	3	1	6	1	2	3	288
2020	245	3	1	11	2	1	5	268
2021	208	2	1	10	0	1	5	227
2022	228	3	1	10	0	0	9	251
2023	224	3	1	10	0	0	7	245
2024	213	2	1	8	0	0	7	231

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 Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	330	32.0	10.3	52.4
2011	288	21.7	13.2	50
2012	288	24.7	11.6	6.9
2013	266	22.5	11.8	53.8
2014	286	22.3	12.7	52.4
2015	276	21.0	13.1	50.7
2016	295	22.0	13.4	54.6
2017	287	22.1	12.9	54.4
2018	282	23.2	12.1	54.3
2019	288	24.2	11.9	59
2020	268	22.2	12.0	58.6
2021	227	24.2	9.3	45.8
2022	251	24.0	10.4	44.6
2023	245	23.5	10.4	40.8
2024	231	22.5	10.2	48.5

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 Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	330	32.0	10.3	52.4
2011	288	21.7	13.2	50
2012	288	24.7	11.6	6.9
2013	266	22.5	11.8	53.8
2014	286	22.3	12.7	52.4
2015	276	21.0	13.1	50.7
2016	295	22.0	13.4	54.6
2017	287	22.1	12.9	54.4
2018	282	23.2	12.1	54.3
2019	288	24.2	11.9	59
2020	268	22.2	12.0	58.6
2021	227	24.2	9.3	45.8
2022	251	24.0	10.4	44.6
2023	245	23.5	10.4	40.8
2024	231	22.5	10.2	48.5

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 Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$12,161
2019	$12,767
2020	$13,986
2021	$20,105
2022	$17,533
2023	$18,010

Data source: Maine Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls

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 173^rd of 258 Elementary schools	Ranks 281^st of 290 Elementary schools	29.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
All Grades English Language Arts (Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls)	44.4	77.3	33%
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%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	288	245	14.9%
African American	3	3
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	6	10	66.7%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	272	224	17.6%
Two or More Races	3	7	133.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	59%	40.8%	18.2%

Schools Near Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
East Auburn Community School	Public	PK, KG-6	15 Andrew Drive	Auburn	04210	Androscoggin County	Auburn Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 782-4142	155	13	12.1	43.9%	139 (89.7%)	10 (6.5%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.6%)	77.9	68^th of 290 public elementary schools	76.6%		89.1	8^th of 210 public elementary schools	96.2%	60	74.1	58.8		$15,535

Frequently Asked Questions about Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls

Is Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls a good school?

Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls ranks in the bottom 3.1% of Maine elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls attend?

Students who attend Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls usually go on to attend:

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

What is the racial makeup of Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls?

Students at Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls are 92% White, 3% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls?

In the 2023-24 school year, 231 students attended Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls.

What district is Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls in?

Regional School Unit 16

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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.