Enrollment
245
Elementary
DISTRICT 214 · STATE 229
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·RSU 11/MSAD 11·NCES 231059000300
Helen Thompson School
309 Spears Corner Road, West Gardiner, ME 04345 · (207) 724-3930 · Kennebec County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY41-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL245 STUDENTS
B
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 64% of Maine public elementary schools
- BTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ·Beats expectations Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Maine public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
12.7:1
19 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.7:1 · STATE 10.5:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
33%
81 students
DISTRICT 40% · STATE 48%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 20 | 8% |
| Kindergarten | 38 | 16% |
| Grade 1 | 37 | 15% |
| Grade 2 | 32 | 13% |
| Grade 3 | 41 | 17% |
| Grade 4 | 31 | 13% |
| Grade 5 | 46 | 19% |
This year's kindergarten class (38) is 17% smaller than its 5th grade class (46).
Student demographics
12%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 14% · STATE 28% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Based on grade levels within RSU 11/MSAD 11. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
MEA 2024-25 . % At or Above State ExpectationsEnglish Language Arts
65.2%
ME avg 64.1%
Math
57.1%
ME avg 50.6%
What this means: On the MEA, Maine's statewide test, about 65 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 57 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Maine schools, those numbers are about 64 and 51.
Source: MEA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Schools most like Helen Thompson School
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helen Thompson School this school | 245 | 33.1% | N/A |
| James H Bean School Sidney | 300 | 32.3% | N/A |
| Minot Consolidated School Minot | 229 | 34.9% | N/A |
| Center Drive School Orrington | 346 | 30.9% | N/A |
| Bristol Consolidated School Pemaquid | 189 | 29.6% | N/A |
| Acton Elementary School Acton | 256 | 30.1% | N/A |
Matched among Maine elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Helen Thompson School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Maine | In Kennebec County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 57.1% | #102 of 193 | #12 of 23 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 65.2% | #93 of 199 | #10 of 24 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 245 | #143 of 360 | #15 of 32 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.7:1 | #146 of 181 | #17 of 22 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 11.8% | #158 of 181 | #21 of 22 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 33.1% | #219 of 280 | #26 of 29 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -12.8% | #65 of 134 | #8 of 16 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
245
-16 (-6%) vs 2020
+18% since 2000-01, when it was 208
Student : Teacher
12.7:1
was 15.3:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 245 | 19.3 | 12.7:1 | 33% (81) |
| 2023-24 | 257 | 19.3 | 13.3:1 | 32% (82) |
| 2022-23 | 253 | 19.2 | 13.2:1 | 31% (79) |
| 2020-21 | 261 | 17 | 15.3:1 | 30% (77) |
| 2017-18 | 281 | 19.8 | 14.2:1 | 30% (84) |
| 2015-16 | 281 | 20 | 14.1:1 | 40% (112) |
| 2010-11 | 299 | 18 | 16.6:1 | 40% (119) |
| 2000-01 | 208 | 12 | 17.3:1 | 30% (63) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Helen Thompson School.
Since 2017-18: students down 13% (281 to 245); teachers down 3% (19.8 to 19.3).
About Helen Thompson School
Federal records list Helen Thompson School as an elementary school in West Gardiner, Maine. The school runs pre-K through 5 and enrolls 245 students.
Helen Thompson School falls under RSU 11/MSAD 11, which has 6 schools enrolling 1,846 students.
The share of White students at Helen Thompson School is 94%. Other groups include 2% multiracial. In Kennebec County overall, the White share is about 92%. The diversity index for Helen Thompson School is 12%. For US public schools as a whole it is 70%.
The student-to-teacher ratio at Helen Thompson School is 12.7:1, based on 19.3 full-time-equivalent teachers. The average for elementary schools in Maine is 10.5:1, so this school has more students per teacher. Helen Thompson School counts 33% of students as eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. For comparison, public schools in Kennebec County average 45%.
Helen Thompson School earns a B on the allk12 Grade, which blends test scores, results against poverty-based expectations, and the three-year trend. It scored higher than 64% of Maine public elementary schools.
In Kennebec County, the median household earns about $69,077 a year, about 32% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and roughly 7% of residents are in poverty. Kennebec County has 53 public schools with about 15,649 students, including Helen Thompson School.
Gardiner Regional Middle School sits about 3.7 miles from Helen Thompson School. Helen Thompson School has 4 other public schools within five miles.
The school's setting, by NCES definition, is Rural: Fringe: in rural territory close to an urban area.
A 6% decrease took enrollment from 261 in 2020-21 to 245 in 2024-25. The student-to-teacher ratio went down from 15.3:1 to 12.7:1.
The Helen Thompson School discussion page is a place for homework, tutoring, and testing dates. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
Kennebec County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
126,808
Census ACS
Median income
$69,077
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
32%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
53
15,649 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in RSU 11/MSAD 11
- Gardiner Area High SchoolHigh · 565 students
- Gardiner Regional Middle SchoolMiddle · 425 students
- Laura E Richards SchoolElementary · 219 students
- Pittston-Randolph Consolidated SchoolElementary · 200 students
- River View Community SchoolElementary · 192 students
Nearby schools
- Gardiner Regional Middle School3.7 mi · 425
- Gardiner Area High School4.3 mi · 565
- Hall-Dale Middle and High School4.7 mi · 496
- Laura E Richards School4.7 mi · 219
- Hall-Dale Elementary Sch5.8 mi · 311
- Pittston-Randolph Consolidated School6.0 mi · 200
Frequently asked questions
About Helen Thompson SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Helen Thompson School?
Helen Thompson School enrolls approximately 245 students in grades PK-05.
What grades does Helen Thompson School serve?
Helen Thompson School serves grades PK-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Helen Thompson School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Helen Thompson School is approximately 12.7:1 (19 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Helen Thompson School?
At Helen Thompson School, the student body is approximately 94% White, 2% Hispanic, 1% Black, 1% Asian, 2% Two or more.
Is Helen Thompson School public or private?
Helen Thompson School is a public K-12 school, overseen by RSU 11/MSAD 11.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.