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Sanford High School

Q: Is Sanford High School a good school?

Sanford High School ranks in the bottom 12.6% of Maine high schools.

Q: How many students attend Sanford High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,115 students attended Sanford High School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Sanford High School?

Students at Sanford High School are 85% White, 5% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 4% African American, 2% Asian.

Public Grades 9-12

104^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 119 Maine High Schools

Better than 13% of Maine high schools

Summary

Sanford High School is a public high school in Sanford, Maine, serving 1,099 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Sanford Public Schools district, which is ranked 142 out of 176 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Sanford High School has consistently underperformed compared to the state and district averages in standardized test scores, with only 40.89% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 37.65% in mathematics, compared to 54.24% and 43.6% for the district, respectively. The school's four-year graduation rates, ranging from 87.3% to 92.1%, are also below the state average. Additionally, Sanford High School has struggled with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 23.4% to 39.9% in recent years, significantly higher than the state average.

When compared to nearby high schools, such as Old Orchard Beach High School, York High School, and Marshwood High School, Sanford High School generally underperforms in academic performance, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism. The school's declining performance over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 52 out of 106 high schools in 2012-2013 to 104 out of 119 high schools in 2024-2025, suggests that Sanford High School faces systemic challenges that require a comprehensive approach to address.

1,115

Students ?

17.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,882

Per pupil spending ?

46.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

100 Alumni Blvd
Sanford, ME 04073

(207) 324-4050

District: Sanford Public Schools

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.6%

Two or more races:

5.5%

Hispanic:

4.0%

See top rated Maine high schools

Compare Sanford High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 51st percentile in 2013 → 13th in 2025

Strengths

✓92% graduate in 4 years — above the Maine average (89%)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maine average (36% vs 53% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (13th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (38% vs 23% Maine)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school36%

District avg46%

Maine avg53%

104^th of 119

Maine public high schools ?

Bottom 13%▼ down 22 pts since 2016

From bottom 34% (2016) to bottom 13% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maine High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

142^nd of 176Sanford Public Schools among Maine districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	17.0	104 of 119	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.7	91 of 121	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.1	82 of 123	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.2	87 of 98	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	69.9	44 of 82	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.5	84 of 114	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	45.6	57 of 114	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	28.6	84 of 111	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	31.7	73 of 111	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	44.8	52 of 106	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2012	24.6	88 of 107	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	42.7	56 of 105	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	37.3	67 of 103	35.0%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	23.9	86 of 107	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	75.2	11 of 22	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	23.5	73 of 92	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	36.5	2 of 4	50.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	16.9	94 of 108	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	63.1	8 of 13	38.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	23.6	61 of 76	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	10.3	99 of 108	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	67.6	8 of 22	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	25.3	71 of 92	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	46.7	3 of 5	40.0%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	6.5	57 of 57	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	13.0	19 of 20	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	12.3	50 of 57	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.0	21 of 21	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2025)50th percentile+37 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)40th percentile+27 vs school

Female (2025)20th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)13th percentile~ school

White (2025)12th percentile~ school

Male (2025)8th percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2025)<1st percentile-13 vs school

By subject vs Maine (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts41%-23 vs state

Mathematics38%-12 vs state

Science29%-7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Sanford High School

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
Sanford High School	Public	9-12	100 Alumni Blvd	Sanford	04073	York County	Sanford Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 324-4050	1,115	63	17.7	46.4%	943 (84.6%)	40 (3.6%)	45 (4.0%)	23 (2.1%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (5.5%)	17	104^th of 119 public high schools	12.6%		23.7	91^st of 121 public high schools	24.8%	13	40.9	37.7	28.8	$17,882
Massabesic High School	Public	9-12	88 West Road	Waterboro	04087	York County	Regional School Unit 57/Maine School Admin District 57	No	No	No	No	(207) 247-3141	867	64	13.5	40.6%	817 (94.2%)	4 (0.5%)	13 (1.5%)	4 (0.5%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (2.7%)	21.3	100^th of 119 public high schools	16.0%		11.7	112^th of 121 public high schools	7.4%	12	31.7	37.9	34.7	$19,447
Noble High School	Public	8-12	100 Noble Way	North Berwick	03906	York County	Regional School Unit 60/Maine School Admin District 60	No	No	No	No	(207) 284-3000	1,134	94	12.0	35.2%	1,027 (90.6%)	10 (0.9%)	39 (3.4%)	12 (1.1%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (3.9%)								(n/a)				$21,200
Kennebunk High School	Public	9-12	89 Fletcher Street	Kennebunk	04043	York County	Regional School Unit 21	No	No	No	No	(207) 985-1110	683	59	11.6	18.0%	625 (91.5%)	8 (1.2%)	23 (3.4%)	10 (1.5%)	6 (0.9%)	4 (0.6%)	7 (1.0%)	89.3	6^th of 119 public high schools	95.0%		86	7^th of 121 public high schools	94.2%	1	78.5	67.4	58.1	$27,394
Wells High School	Public	9-12	200 Sanford RD	Wells	04090	York County	Wells-Ogunquit Central School District	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 646-7011	422	37	11.3	17.5%	381 (90.3%)	7 (1.7%)	12 (2.8%)	9 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (2.6%)	64.8	19^th of 119 public high schools	84.0%		46.5	51^st of 121 public high schools	57.9%	32	64.0	61.2	44.0	$28,035
Biddeford High School	Public	8-12	20 Maplewood Avenue	Biddeford	04005	York County	Biddeford Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 282-1596	894	63	14.1	61.5%	640 (71.6%)	117 (13.1%)	67 (7.5%)	25 (2.8%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	40 (4.5%)	12.9	109^th of 119 public high schools	8.4%		13.6	109^th of 121 public high schools	9.9%		38.7	29.2	28.3	$19,049
Marshwood High School	Public	9-12	260 Dow Highway	South Berwick	03908	York County	Regional School Unit 35/Maine School Admin District 35	No	No	No	No	(207) 384-4500	659	51	12.9	15.3%	604 (91.7%)	10 (1.5%)	18 (2.7%)	7 (1.1%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.3%)	90.1	5^th of 119 public high schools	95.8%		86.5	6^th of 121 public high schools	95.0%	1	85.5	66.1	56.0	$23,427
Old Orchard Beach High School	Public	9-12	40 E Emerson Cummings Blvd	Old Orchard Beach	04064	York County	Regional School Unit 23	No	No	No	No	(207) 934-4461	186	25	7.5	36.6%	158 (84.9%)	15 (8.1%)	9 (4.8%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.1%)	61.9	21^st of 119 public high schools	82.4%		54	34^th of 121 public high schools	71.9%	13	63.3	57.1	46.2	$34,446
York High School	Public	9-12	1 Robert Stevens Drive	York	03909	York County	York Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(207) 363-3621	498	52	9.5	21.7%	456 (91.6%)	4 (0.8%)	13 (2.6%)	7 (1.4%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.0%)	83	9^th of 119 public high schools	92.4%		65.4	19^th of 121 public high schools	84.3%	10	70.9	66.1	56.4	$32,917

Frequently Asked Questions about Sanford High School

What is the racial makeup of Sanford High School?

Students at Sanford High School are 85% White, 5% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 4% African American, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Sanford High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,115 students attended Sanford High School.

Is Sanford High School a good school?

Sanford High School ranks in the bottom 12.6% of Maine high schools.

What district is Sanford High School in?

Sanford Public Schools

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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.