Middle Schools in Regional School Unit 16

Summary:

Regional School Unit 16 in Maine has only one middle school, Bruce M Whittier Middle School, which serves grades 7-8. While the school has shown strong performance in the past, recent data suggests it may be facing challenges in maintaining its academic standards and rankings compared to other middle schools in the state.

Bruce M Whittier Middle School has seen a decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from 22nd out of 96 middle schools in 2022-2023 to 44th out of 92 in 2023-2024 and 65th out of 91 in 2024-2025. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Math, and Science are all below the state averages, with the largest gap in Math. Additionally, the school has a relatively high chronic absenteeism rate of 23.4%, which could be a contributing factor to the lower academic performance.

While the school serves a student population with 35.4% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a higher proportion of students from lower-income families, the data does not suggest any correlation between the school's performance and its racial makeup. To improve student outcomes, the school and Regional School Unit 16 may need to focus on addressing areas such as chronic absenteeism, academic proficiency gaps, and supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

District Detail

3 Aggregate Road
Poland, ME 04274

(207) 998-2727

SchoolDigger Rank:
118^th of 176 Maine districts

See the 2025 Maine District rankings!

Grades served: PK, KG-12
Students: 1,671

Primary Schools: 3
Middle Schools: 1
High Schools: 1
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
Bruce M Whittier Middle School	Public	7-8	1457 Maine Street	Poland	04274	Androscoggin County	Regional School Unit 16	No	No	No	No	(207) 998-3462	272	24	11.3	38.6%	256 (94.1%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.8%)	32.8	65^th of 91 public middle schools	28.6%		46.9	44^th of 92 public middle schools	52.2%	21	57.8	36.5	41.6	$19,806

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Regional School Unit 17/Maine School Admin District 17	5.8 mi	10	163^rd
Auburn Public Schools	6.81 mi	8	113^th
Lewiston Public Schools	9.14 mi	8	173^rd
Regional School Unit 15/Maine School Admin District 15	9.69 mi	5	80^th
Oxford-Region 11	10.15 mi	1

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.