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Regional School Unit 18

At a glance

78^thof 176 Maine districts▼ 21

Better than 55% of Maine districts

Elementary 5 Middle 2 High 1Grades PK, KG-12

41 Heath Street
Oakland, ME 04963·(207) 465-7384·All Maine district rankings →

Statewide performance 2017–2025

2025: better than 55.7% of districts

Schools

2,554

Students

Top rankedJames H Bean School50^th of 289 Maine elementary schools

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Biggest riser

China Primary School up 68 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

China Middle School 11.7 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

4★

3★

2★

1★

1 school without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

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

Summary:

Regional School Unit 18 in Maine operates a total of 8 schools, including 5 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school. The district serves a diverse student population across several communities, with varying socioeconomic backgrounds reflected in the free and reduced-price lunch rates at the schools.

Among the standout schools in the district are James H Bean School, an elementary school that consistently ranks among the top 50 in Maine, and Messalonskee Middle School, which also places in the top 35-36 middle schools in the state. These schools demonstrate strong academic performance, with high proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics. In contrast, a few schools, such as Williams Elementary and China Middle School, have lower rankings and test scores compared to their peers in the district, presenting opportunities for targeted improvement efforts.

Overall, Regional School Unit 18 schools generally perform above the state average in English Language Arts and Mathematics, with the district's only high school, Messalonskee High School, maintaining a commendable 4-year graduation rate of 87.8%. However, the district-wide chronic absenteeism rate of 23.4% is an area of concern that the district may need to address to ensure all students have the opportunity to succeed.

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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
China Middle School	Public	5-8	773 Lakeview Drive	China	04926	Kennebec County	Regional School Unit 18	No	No	No	No	(207) 445-1500	170	15	11.7	37.6%	156 (91.8%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.1%)	27.5	73^rd of 91 public middle schools	19.8%		43.7	47^th of 92 public middle schools	48.9%	26	53.3	45.0	28.7	$20,206
Messalonskee Middle School	Public	6-8	33 School Bus Drive	Oakland	04963	Kennebec County	Regional School Unit 18	No	No	No	No	(207) 465-2167	495	39	12.8	41.0%	457 (92.3%)	9 (1.8%)	12 (2.4%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.8%)	52.9	35^th of 91 public middle schools	61.5%		53	36^th of 92 public middle schools	60.9%	1	68.9	41.7	57.6	$17,777
Belgrade Central School	Public	PK, KG-5	158 Depot Road	Belgrade	04917	Kennebec County	Regional School Unit 18	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 495-2321	236	18	12.8	37.3%	220 (93.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.4%)	56.9	141^st of 289 public elementary schools	51.2%		74.5	78^th of 288 public elementary schools	72.9%	63	63.7	56.6	39.0	$18,342
James H Bean School	Public	PK, KG-5	2896 Middle Road	Sidney	04330	Kennebec County	Regional School Unit 18	No	No	No	No	(207) 547-3395	300	21	14.0	32.3%	289 (96.3%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (2.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	81.2	50^th of 289 public elementary schools	82.7%		78.7	55^th of 288 public elementary schools	80.9%	5	76.9	72.0	32.7	$16,317
Williams Elementary School	Public	3-5	55 Pleasant Street	Oakland	04963	Kennebec County	Regional School Unit 18	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 465-2965	222	18	12.1	52.7%	202 (91.0%)	5 (2.3%)	9 (4.1%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.8%)	53.6	156^th of 289 public elementary schools	46.0%		69.6	94^th of 288 public elementary schools	67.4%	62	61.1	61.9	24.6	$19,143
Messalonskee High School	Public	9-12	131 Messalonskee High Drive	Oakland	04963	Kennebec County	Regional School Unit 18	No	No	No	No	(207) 465-7381	695	49	14.1	36.1%	638 (91.8%)	5 (0.7%)	22 (3.2%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	25 (3.6%)	40.9	55^th of 119 public high schools	53.8%		47.5	49^th of 121 public high schools	59.5%	6	63.0	46.7	31.0	$16,170
Ralph M Atwood Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	19 Heath Street	Oakland	04963	Kennebec County	Regional School Unit 18	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 465-3411	194	16	12.3	44.8%	177 (91.2%)	5 (2.6%)	6 (3.1%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	3 (1.5%)								(n/a)				$28,844
China Primary School	Public	PK, KG-4	763 Lakeview Drive	China	04926	Kennebec County	Regional School Unit 18	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 445-1550	242	20	12.1	39.7%	227 (93.8%)	3 (1.2%)	4 (1.7%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.5%)	75	74^th of 289 public elementary schools	74.4%		54.1	142^nd of 288 public elementary schools	50.7%	68	69.0	66.0		$18,593

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Regional School Unit 12	4.61 mi	8	49^th
Vassalboro Public Schools	6.26 mi	1	89^th
Regional School Unit 49/Maine School Admin District 49	7.6 mi	5	140^th
Winslow Schools	8.85 mi	3	66^th
Waterville Public Schools	9.05 mi	5	151^st

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.