Bruce M Whittier Middle School

Q: Is Bruce M Whittier Middle School a good school?

Bruce M Whittier Middle School ranks 22 nd of 96 Maine middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Bruce M Whittier Middle School is a public middle school located in Poland, Maine, serving 281 students in grades 7-8. The school is part of the Regional School Unit 16 district, which is ranked 110 out of 177 districts in the state.

Bruce M Whittier Middle School consistently performs above the state and district averages in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science proficiency on the Maine Educational Assessments. In 2022-2023, the school had 69% of students proficient or better in ELA, compared to 64.63% for the state and 61.88% for the district. In Mathematics, the school had 49.63% proficiency, compared to 48.68% for the state and 44.18% for the district. The school also ranks in the top 25% of Maine middle schools, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger in 2022-2023. The school's female students and low socioeconomic status students have particularly strong academic performance, ranking in the top 21% and top 10% of Maine middle schools, respectively, in recent years.

While Bruce M Whittier Middle School outperforms many nearby middle schools, such as Windham Middle School and Philip W Sugg Middle School, the school has experienced fluctuations in chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 5.9% to 43.5% in recent years. Additionally, the school has a relatively homogeneous student population, with 92.53% of students identifying as White, which is similar to the racial composition of nearby schools in the region.

Detail:

Public 7-8

1457 Maine Street
Poland, ME 04274

(207) 998-3462

District: Regional School Unit 16

SchoolDigger Rank:
22^nd of 96 Maine Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,418

Students who attend Bruce M Whittier Middle School usually attend:

High:

Poland Regional High School

Feeder schools for Bruce M Whittier Middle School:

Elementary:	Elm Street School-Mechanic Falls
	Minot Consolidated School
	Poland Community School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.4

Number of students: 274

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.4%

Hispanic:

3.3%

Two or more races:

1.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 35.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Bruce M Whittier Middle School ranks better than 77.1% of middle schools in Maine. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 63.96. (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 (93.4%), Hispanic (3.3%), two or more races (1.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 35.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bruce M Whittier Middle School is 11.4. (See more...)

Compare Bruce M Whittier Middle School employs 24 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bruce M Whittier Middle School is $15,418.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Bruce M Whittier Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Bruce M Whittier Middle School 22^nd of 96 Maine public middle schools. (See Bruce M Whittier Middle School in the ranking list.)

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 Bruce M Whittier Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Bruce M Whittier Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ME State Percentile
2012	44.64	45^th	86	47.7%
2013	42.64	50^th	87	42.5%
2015	78.14	20^th	97	79.4%
2016	72.47	20^th	85	76.5%
2017	65.97	22^nd	87	74.7%
2018	72.62	21^st	85	75.3%
2019	58.33	25^th	86	70.9%
2021	42.86	55^th	92	40.2%
2022	61.84	35^th	93	62.4%
2023	63.96	22^nd	96	77.1%

See the entire list of Maine Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Bruce M Whittier Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	75.90	10^th	64	84.4%
2021	47.98	35^th	66	47.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Bruce M Whittier Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	48.50	37^th	78	52.6%
2021	73.87	21^st	83	74.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Bruce M Whittier Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ME State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	65.72	18^th	78	76.9%
2021	17.76	70^th	83	15.7%

See the entire list of Best Maine Middle 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:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Bruce M Whittier Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2010	137	3	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	141
2011	264	0	1	0	0	0	1	266
2012	249	1	2	0	0	0	2	254
2013	254	3	1	2	2	0	1	263
2014	236	3	1	3	4	1	2	250
2015	247	1	0	2	2	0	2	254
2016	241	4	2	1	1	0	2	251
2017	217	5	2	0	0	0	6	230
2018	240	3	3	4	0	0	7	257
2019	250	1	3	8	0	0	6	268
2020	244	1	1	5	0	1	6	258
2021	255	4	0	1	0	1	7	268
2022	269	4	0	5	0	1	12	291
2023	260	1	3	8	0	1	8	281
2024	256	0	4	9	0	0	5	274

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 Bruce M Whittier Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	141	11.8	11.9	6.4
2011	266	14.8	17.9	39.1
2012	254	16.2	15.6	8.3
2013	263	18.1	14.4	41.4
2014	250	18.5	13.4	37.2
2015	254	19.0	13.3	39.8
2016	251	21.0	11.9	46.2
2017	230	18.2	12.6	44.3
2018	257	18.8	13.6	38.5
2019	268	20.5	13.0	45.1
2020	258	21.5	12.0	41.5
2021	268	21.9	12.2	46.6
2022	291	24.8	11.7	37.1
2023	281	23.4	12.0	36.3
2024	274	24.0	11.4	35.4

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 Bruce M Whittier Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	141	11.8	11.9	6.4
2011	266	14.8	17.9	39.1
2012	254	16.2	15.6	8.3
2013	263	18.1	14.4	41.4
2014	250	18.5	13.4	37.2
2015	254	19.0	13.3	39.8
2016	251	21.0	11.9	46.2
2017	230	18.2	12.6	44.3
2018	257	18.8	13.6	38.5
2019	268	20.5	13.0	45.1
2020	258	21.5	12.0	41.5
2021	268	21.9	12.2	46.6
2022	291	24.8	11.7	37.1
2023	281	23.4	12.0	36.3
2024	274	24.0	11.4	35.4

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 Bruce M Whittier Middle School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$12,682
2019	$11,995
2020	$12,975
2021	$14,529
2022	$14,601
2023	$15,418

Data source: Maine Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Bruce M Whittier Middle 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 25^th of 86 Middle schools	Ranks 22^nd of 96 Middle schools	6.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
All Grades English Language Arts (Bruce M Whittier Middle School)	57.1	85.7	28.6%
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%
All Grades Mathematics (Bruce M Whittier Middle School)	40.1	85.7	45.6%
All Grades Mathematics (Regional School Unit 16)	39.1	81.1	42%
All Grades Mathematics (Maine)	35.7	81.3	45.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	268	281	4.9%
African American	1	1
American Indian	0	0
Asian	3	3
Hispanic	8	8
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	250	260	4%
Two or More Races	6	8	33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	45.1%	36.3%	8.9%

Schools Near Bruce M Whittier Middle 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
Bruce M Whittier Middle School	Public	7-8	1457 Maine Street	Poland	04274	Androscoggin County	Regional School Unit 16	No	No	No	No	(207) 998-3462	274	24	11.4	35.4%	256 (93.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.3%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.8%)	64	22^nd of 96 public middle schools	77.1%		61.8	35^th of 93 public middle schools	62.4%	13	69.0	49.6	49.3	$15,418
Auburn Middle School	Public	7-8	38 Falcon Drive	Auburn	04210	Androscoggin County	Auburn Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 333-6655	490	41	11.9	52.2%	391 (79.8%)	59 (12.0%)	17 (3.5%)	5 (1.0%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (3.1%)	35.4	66^th of 96 public middle schools	31.3%		19.8	77^th of 93 public middle schools	17.2%	11	62.5	35.5	36.8	$15,031
Jordan-Small Middle School	Public	5-8	423 Webb's Mills Road	Raymond	04071	Cumberland County	Regional School Unit 14	No	No	No	No	(207) 655-4743	184	19	9.8	23.4%	170 (92.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.7%)	58.6	29^th of 96 public middle schools	69.8%		68.9	22^nd of 93 public middle schools	76.3%	7	85.0	42.8	30.1	$21,504
Lewiston Middle School	Public	7-8	75 Central Avenue	Lewiston	04240	Androscoggin County	Lewiston Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 795-4180	716	65	11.0	62.4%	320 (44.7%)	314 (43.9%)	29 (4.1%)	9 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	42 (5.9%)	4.2	96^th of 96 public middle schools	0.0%		1.3	92^nd of 93 public middle schools	1.1%	4	43.3	20.4	17.6	$18,814
Oxford Hills Middle School	Public	7-8	100 Pine Street	Paris	04271	Oxford County	Regional School Unit 17/Maine School Admin District 17	No	No	No	No	(207) 743-5946	507	42	12.0	53.5%	463 (91.3%)	3 (0.6%)	18 (3.6%)	6 (1.2%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.8%)	16.8	88^th of 96 public middle schools	8.3%		5.8	90^th of 93 public middle schools	3.2%	2	55.3	23.5	29.7	$17,200
Gray-New Gloucester Middle School	Public	5-8	31 Libby Hill Road	Gray	04039	Cumberland County	Regional School Unit 15/Maine School Admin District 15	No	No	No	No	(207) 657-4994	498	43	11.6	30.7%	459 (92.2%)	9 (1.8%)	9 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.2%)	47.4	47^th of 96 public middle schools	51.0%		59.9	40^th of 93 public middle schools	57.0%	7	71.2	39.4	32.0	$17,306
Lake Region Middle School	Public	6-8	204 Kansas Road	Naples	04055	Cumberland County	Regional School Unit 61/Maine School Admin District 61	No	No	No	No	(207) 647-8403	383	38	10.1	50.1%	337 (88.0%)	3 (0.8%)	24 (6.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.4%)	24.5	79^th of 96 public middle schools	17.7%		2.8	91^st of 93 public middle schools	2.2%	12	58.7	32.0	31.9	$20,185
Oak Hill Middle School	Public	5-8	40 Ball Park Road	Sabattus	04280	Androscoggin County	Regional School Unit 04	No	No	No	No	(207) 375-6961	401	30	13.2	38.9%	372 (92.8%)	2 (0.5%)	12 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.5%)	17.7	85^th of 96 public middle schools	11.5%		15.8	80^th of 93 public middle schools	14.0%	5	55.1	31.7	25.7	$17,560
Tripp Middle School	Public	7-8	65 Mathews Way	Turner	04282	Androscoggin County	Regional School Unit 52/Maine School Admin District 52	No	No	No	No	(207) 225-1070	326	28	11.8	34.0%	311 (95.4%)	3 (0.9%)	8 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	46.3	49^th of 96 public middle schools	49.0%		51	50^th of 93 public middle schools	46.2%	1	63.4	39.7	50.0	$17,646
Philip W Sugg Middle School	Public	6-8	4 Sugg Drive	Lisbon Falls	04252	Androscoggin County	Lisbon Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 353-3055	292	22	13.2	33.2%	274 (93.8%)	4 (1.4%)	3 (1.0%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	7 (2.4%)	63	26^th of 96 public middle schools	72.9%		64.5	32^nd of 93 public middle schools	65.6%	6	73.8	43.6	58.4	$15,582

Frequently Asked Questions about Bruce M Whittier Middle School

How many students attend Bruce M Whittier Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 274 students attended Bruce M Whittier Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Bruce M Whittier Middle School attend?

Students who attend Bruce M Whittier Middle School usually go on to attend Poland Regional High School

Is Bruce M Whittier Middle School a good school?

Bruce M Whittier Middle School ranks 22^nd of 96 Maine middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Bruce M Whittier Middle School?

Students at Bruce M Whittier Middle School are 93% White, 3% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What district is Bruce M Whittier Middle School 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.