Enrollment
179
Elementary
DISTRICT 216 · STATE 229
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SOUTH PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 231233000716
James Otis Kaler Elementary School
165 South Kelsey Street, South Portland, ME 04106 · (207) 799-3214 · Cumberland County
GRADES PK–04ELEMENTARY13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL179 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
This school has no state test results for 2023-24 or 2024-25 to grade, which is common for schools that end before third grade. How grades work
Student : Teacher
8.1:1
22 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 9.4:1 · STATE 10.5:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
59%
106 students
DISTRICT 42% · 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 | 28 | 16% |
| Kindergarten | 42 | 23% |
| Grade 1 | 31 | 17% |
| Grade 2 | 26 | 15% |
| Grade 3 | 24 | 13% |
| Grade 4 | 28 | 16% |
This year's kindergarten class (42) is 50% larger than its 4th grade class (28).
Student demographics
68%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 55% · 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 South Portland Public Schools. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
QUIET COMMUNITY
Be the first to start a discussion at James Otis Kaler Elementary School.
START A DISCUSSIONTest scores
MEA 2024-25 . % At or Above State ExpectationsMath
76.0%
ME avg 50.6%
What this means: On the MEA, Maine's statewide test, about 76 of every 100 students at this school do math at grade level. The Maine average is about 51 of 100.
Source: MEA. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Schools most like James Otis Kaler Elementary School
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Otis Kaler Elementary School this school | 179 | 59.2% | N/A |
| Presumpscot School Portland | 266 | 59.4% | N/A |
| Biddeford Intermediate School Biddeford | 357 | 66.4% | N/A |
| John F Kennedy Memorial School Biddeford | 157 | 65.0% | N/A |
| Oxford-Cumberland Canal School Westbrook | 188 | 72.3% | N/A |
| Waldo T Skillin Elementary School South Portland | 302 | 61.3% | 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 James Otis Kaler Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Maine | In Cumberland County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 76.0% | #20 of 193 | #9 of 36 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 179 | #203 of 360 | #42 of 54 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 59.2% | #90 of 280 | #9 of 48 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -21.5% | #23 of 134 | #6 of 22 |
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
179
-38 (-18%) vs 2020
-25% since 2010-11, when it was 238
Student : Teacher
8.1:1
was 10.3:1
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 | 179 | 22.2 | 8.1:1 | 59% (106) |
| 2023-24 | 179 | 21.2 | 8.4:1 | 46% (83) |
| 2022-23 | 220 | 19.9 | 11.1:1 | 33% (73) |
| 2020-21 | 217 | 21 | 10.3:1 | 45% (98) |
| 2017-18 | 228 | 22.1 | 10.3:1 | 59% (135) |
| 2015-16 | 226 | 21 | 10.8:1 | 65% (147) |
| 2010-11 | 238 | 22 | 10.8:1 | 50% (118) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for James Otis Kaler Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students down 21% (228 to 179); teachers unchanged (22.1 to 22.2).
About James Otis Kaler Elementary School
James Otis Kaler Elementary School is a small elementary school with its address in South Portland, Maine. It serves 179 students in pre-K through 4. For comparison, elementary schools in Maine average about 229 students.
The 7 schools in South Portland Public Schools enroll 2,816 students altogether, James Otis Kaler Elementary School among them.
James Otis Kaler Elementary School's enrollment has no majority group, and White students are the largest at 49%. It is also 22% Black, 16% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, and 6% Asian. Cumberland County's residents are about 86% White, 38 points above the school's share. The chance that two students picked at random at James Otis Kaler Elementary School belong to different racial or ethnic groups, known as the diversity index, is 68%.
The ratio of students to teachers is 8.1:1, with 22.2 full-time-equivalent teachers on staff. For comparison, elementary schools in Maine average 10.5:1. The percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch is 59%. The average for public schools in Cumberland County is 34%.
Census Bureau estimates for Cumberland County show that median household income is about $95,677, 53% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 4% of residents live below the federal poverty line. A total of 99 public schools operate in Cumberland County, serving about 38,224 students.
The closest public school to James Otis Kaler Elementary School is South Portland High School, about 0.5 miles away. Other public schools within five miles number at least 8.
James Otis Kaler Elementary School is inside a principal city with a population under 100,000, a location NCES labels City: Small.
The student count in 2024-25 was 179, 18% below the 217 of 2020-21. The ratio of students to teachers went from 10.3:1 to 8.1:1 over the same years.
Community posts for James Otis Kaler Elementary School can cover sports schedules, lunch menus, and spirit week. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Cumberland County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
308,827
Census ACS
Median income
$95,677
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
53%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
4%
Below federal line
Schools in county
99
38,224 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in South Portland Public Schools
- South Portland High SchoolHigh · 928 students
- South Portland Middle SchoolMiddle · 807 students
- Waldo T Skillin Elementary SchoolElementary · 302 students
- Frank I Brown Elementary SchoolElementary · 213 students
- Dyer Elementary SchoolElementary · 194 students
- Dora L Small Elementary SchoolElementary · 193 students
Other schools in South Portland
- South Portland High SchoolHigh · 928 students
- South Portland Middle SchoolMiddle · 807 students
- Maine Connections AcademyHigh · 504 students
- Waldo T Skillin Elementary SchoolElementary · 302 students
- Frank I Brown Elementary SchoolElementary · 213 students
- Dyer Elementary SchoolElementary · 194 students
Nearby schools
- South Portland High School0.5 mi · 928
- Dyer Elementary School0.6 mi · 194
- Frank I Brown Elementary School1.1 mi · 213
- Howard C Reiche Community Sch1.5 mi · 467
- South Portland Middle School1.7 mi · 807
- Waldo T Skillin Elementary School1.8 mi · 302
Frequently asked questions
About James Otis Kaler Elementary SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at James Otis Kaler Elementary School?
James Otis Kaler Elementary School enrolls approximately 179 students in grades PK-04.
What age range does James Otis Kaler Elementary School serve?
James Otis Kaler Elementary School serves students from grade PK through grade 04.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James Otis Kaler Elementary School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at James Otis Kaler Elementary School is approximately 8.1:1 (22 FTE teachers).
How diverse is James Otis Kaler Elementary School?
James Otis Kaler Elementary School reports a student body of 49% White, 16% Hispanic, 22% Black, 6% Asian, 7% Two or more.
Is James Otis Kaler Elementary School public or private?
James Otis Kaler Elementary School is a public K-12 school, overseen by South Portland Public Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.