Penobscot Elementary School

Penobscot Elementary School is a very small elementary campus in Penobscot, Maine, operated by Penobscot Public Schools. The school educates 65 students in grades pre-K through 8. Compared to the state average of about 229 students per school, that is 72% leaner than typical.

Operationally, Penobscot Elementary School answers to Penobscot Public Schools, which sets policy, hires staff, and reports enrollment to the state.

On the student-mix side, Penobscot Elementary School logs that nearly all students (92%) are White. Other groups include 3% multiracial. That mix tracks the wider county fairly closely.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Penobscot Elementary School has 9 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 7.1:1. The state averages around 10.5:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. An estimated 45% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

Across the wider county, ACS estimates for Hancock County put median household earnings sit near $72,744, 40% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. In all, Hancock County runs 35 public schools (combined enrollment of about 5,938 students), of which Penobscot Elementary School is one.

Brooksville Elementary School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 5.9 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a ten-mile radius, suggesting a relatively low-density school footprint.

Geographically, the school is in an outlying area.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Penobscot Elementary School has decreased 6%, going from 69 students in 2018 to 65 in 2025. The White share of enrollment ticked down from 97% to 92% over that span.

Within the allk12 community for this school, members of the Penobscot Elementary School community share and discuss enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.