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Best Public Schools in Peru, ME

At a glance

School

324

Students

Top rankedDirigo Elementary School252^nd of 289 Maine elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Dirigo Elementary School up 14 spots statewide this year

Compare Maine cities →See the top-ranked Maine schools →

Summary:

The city of Peru, Maine has only one public elementary school, Dirigo Elementary School, which serves grades PK-5 with an enrollment of 355 students. The school is part of the Regional School Unit 56 district, which is ranked 167 out of 176 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Dirigo Elementary School has struggled academically, with proficiency rates on the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) tests well below the state averages in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science over the past two school years. The school's statewide ranking has also declined, dropping from 256 out of 290 schools in 2022-2023 to 266 out of 288 schools in 2023-2024 and 252 out of 289 schools in 2024-2025. Additionally, the school has a high chronic absenteeism rate of 23.4%, which can negatively impact student learning and outcomes.

Interestingly, Dirigo Elementary School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 12.3, suggesting smaller class sizes. However, the school serves a population with significant economic challenges, as evidenced by the high percentage (50.14%) of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. These socioeconomic factors may be contributing to the school's academic struggles and should be considered when developing strategies for improvement.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				MEA English Language Arts (2025)	MEA Mathematics (2025)	MEA Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MEA English Language Arts All Grades	MEA Mathematics All Grades	MEA Science All Grades	Total
Dirigo Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	117 Auburn Road	Peru	04290	Oxford County	Regional School Unit 56	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 562-4207	324	28	11.6	56.8%	295 (91.0%)	6 (1.9%)	9 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.3%)	19.9	252^nd of 289 public elementary schools	12.8%		14.7	266^th of 288 public elementary schools	7.6%	14	53.6	39.9	17.0	$21,432

Cities Near Peru

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Dixfield	4.57 mi	4	264^th
Mexico	5.12 mi	4	270^th
Rumford	7.45 mi	2	241^st
Sumner	8.38 mi	1	168^th
Bryant Pond	11.02 mi	1	126^th

See the top ME Maine cities

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.