James H Bean School

As a middle-of-the-pack K-5 school in Sidney, Maine, James H Bean School enrolls 300 students from grades pre-K through 5, overseen by RSU 18. By comparison, Maine's public schools average about 229 students each, so James H Bean School sits 31% above that benchmark.

RSU 18 runs 8 schools in total, collectively educating 2,554 students. James H Bean School is one of those campuses.

On demographics, James H Bean School lists that nearly all students (96%) are White. Beyond that, the school records 2% Hispanic. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

On the income-and-resources front, Staff filings list 21 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 14.0:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 10.5:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Roughly 32% of students at James H Bean School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Kennebec County runs at roughly 45%, so the school's eligibility rate is below the surrounding baseline.

In the broader community, Kennebec County reports that median household earnings sit near $69,077, roughly 32% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Kennebec County's 53 public schools (combined enrollment of about 15,649 students), James H Bean School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Belgrade Central School, around 4.5 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around James H Bean School.

Geographically, the school is in an outlying area.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at James H Bean School has grew 18%, going from 254 students in 2018 to 300 in 2025. Class-load math has loosened: from 12.8:1 in 2018 to 14.0:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, recent activity here tends to focus on enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Members of the school community can share what they know.