Regional School Unit 87/Maine School Admin District 23

Summary:

Regional School Unit 87/Maine School Admin District 23 is a school district in Maine that serves 3 schools: 2 elementary schools (Suzanne M Smith Elementary School and Carmel Elementary School) and 1 middle school (Caravel Middle School). Based on the available data, Carmel Elementary School stands out as the highest-performing school in the district, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and having the highest proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics compared to the other schools and state averages.

While all 3 schools in the Regional School Unit 87/Maine School Admin District 23 have a chronic absenteeism rate of 23.4%, which is higher than the state average, Carmel Elementary School has the lowest student-teacher ratio at 10.1, compared to 12.4 at Suzanne M Smith Elementary and 15.4 at Caravel Middle School. Additionally, Suzanne M Smith Elementary has the highest free/reduced lunch rate at 50.23%, suggesting potential socioeconomic disparities within the district.

Overall, the data indicates that Carmel Elementary School is the standout performer in the Regional School Unit 87/Maine School Admin District 23, with strong academic results and a low student-teacher ratio. However, the district as a whole faces challenges with high chronic absenteeism rates and varying socioeconomic factors that may impact student performance across the schools.

District Detail

44 Plymouth Road
Carmel, ME 04419

(207) 848-5173

SchoolDigger Rank:
68^th of 176 Maine districts

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Grades served: PK, KG-12
Students: 584

Primary Schools: 2
Middle Schools: 1
High Schools: 0
Alternative Schools: 0

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 (2024)
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
Suzanne M Smith Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	169 South Levant Road	Levant	04456	Penobscot County	Regional School Unit 87/Maine School Admin District 23	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 884-7444	222	20	11.3	46.4%	208 (93.7%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.0%)	57.9	139^th of 289 public elementary schools	51.9%		71.1	89^th of 288 public elementary schools	69.1%	50	63.8	63.8	19.4	$19,338
Caravel Middle School	Public	5-8	520 Irish Road	Carmel	04419	Penobscot County	Regional School Unit 87/Maine School Admin District 23	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 848-3615	204	17	12.1	38.7%	185 (90.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.4%)	33.5	62^nd of 91 public middle schools	31.9%		33.3	63^rd of 92 public middle schools	31.5%	1	62.8	37.2	31.3	$17,694
Carmel Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	50 Plymouth Road	Carmel	04419	Penobscot County	Regional School Unit 87/Maine School Admin District 23	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 848-3383	158	16	10.0	39.2%	155 (98.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.3%)	93.3	16^th of 289 public elementary schools	94.5%		67.4	100^th of 288 public elementary schools	65.3%	84	81.8	74.6		$21,047

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Hermon Public Schools	5.65 mi	3	55^th
Glenburn Public Schools	8.37 mi	1	59^th
Bangor Public Schools	8.89 mi	10	63^rd
Regional School Unit 64/Maine School Admin District 64	9.44 mi	3	149^th
Regional School Unit 19	9.46 mi	5	134^th

See the top ME Maine districts

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.