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Penobscot Valley High School

Q: Is Penobscot Valley High School a good school?

Penobscot Valley High School ranks 33 rd of 119 Maine high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

33^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 119 Maine High Schools

Better than 72% of Maine high schools

Summary

Penobscot Valley High School is a public high school located in Howland, Maine, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 131 students. The school is part of the Regional School Unit 31/Maine School Admin District 31, which is ranked 83 out of 176 districts in Maine and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Penobscot Valley High School has seen fluctuating performance in its statewide ranking, ranging from 33rd out of 119 high schools in 2024-2025 (4-star rating) to 104th out of 123 high schools in 2022-2023 (1-star rating). In comparison, the nearby Penquis Valley Middle/High School and Mattanawcook Academy have consistently ranked lower. Penobscot Valley High School has maintained a relatively stable four-year graduation rate, ranging from 86.1% to 87.8% in recent years, similar to the nearby schools. However, the school has experienced fluctuations in its chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 21.6% to 29.5%, which is a regional challenge.

Penobscot Valley High School's performance on the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) has been mixed, with proficiency rates ranging from 20% in Science to 76.47% in English Language Arts. Compared to the regional and state averages, the school's test scores are generally lower, particularly in Mathematics and Science. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 44.78% to 51.15%, indicating a higher concentration of economically disadvantaged students. Addressing these challenges through targeted interventions and support could be crucial for improving the school's performance and providing a high-quality education for its students.

127

Students ?

8.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,229

Per pupil spending ?

59.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

23 Cross Street
Howland, ME 04448

(207) 732-3111

District: Regional School Unit 31/Maine School Admin District 31

Feeder schools for Penobscot Valley High School:

Elementary:	Enfield Station Elementary School
Middle:	Hichborn Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

96.9%

Hispanic:

1.6%

American Indian:

1.6%

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Compare Penobscot Valley High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 45th percentile in 2010 → 72nd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 27 percentile points since 2010

✓Above the Maine median (72nd percentile)

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Maine average (48% vs 56% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (36% vs 23% Maine)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school48%

District avg52%

Maine avg56%

33^rd of 119

Maine public high schools ?

Top 28%▲ up 61 pts since 2016

From bottom 11% (2016) to top 28% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Maine High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

83^rd of 176Regional School Unit 31/Maine School Admin District 31 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	53.2	33 of 119	72.3%	★★★★☆
2024	56.0	30 of 121	75.2%	★★★★☆
2023	20.5	104 of 123	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.1	70 of 114	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	34.2	71 of 111	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	17.8	99 of 111	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	24.9	91 of 106	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	19.2	95 of 107	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	18.3	93 of 105	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	41.6	57 of 103	44.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2019	20.7	77 of 92	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2025	95.7	4 of 108	96.3%	★★★★★
2019	60.5	29 of 76	61.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Maine percentile	Rating
2019	58.3	34 of 92	63.0%	★★★☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)96th percentile+24 vs school

Male (2019)63rd percentile+24 vs school

Female (2019)16th percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs Maine (2024-2025) ?

Science51%+15 vs state

English Language Arts43%-20 vs state

★

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Schools Near Penobscot Valley 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
Penobscot Valley High School	Public	9-12	23 Cross Street	Howland	04448	Penobscot County	Regional School Unit 31/Maine School Admin District 31	No	No	No	No	(207) 732-3111	127	14	8.8	59.8%	123 (96.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53.2	33^rd of 119 public high schools	72.3%		56	30^th of 121 public high schools	75.2%	3	43.5		51.4	$24,229
Mattanawcook Academy	Public	9-12	33 Reed Drive	Lincoln	04457	Penobscot County	Regional School Unit 67	No	No	No	No	(207) 794-6711	313	27	11.8	43.8%	298 (95.2%)	4 (1.3%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	29.2	84^th of 119 public high schools	29.4%		27.4	86^th of 121 public high schools	28.9%	2	53.6	49.1	26.2	$23,700
Penquis Valley Middle/High School	Public	5-12	48 Penquis Drive	Milo	04463	Piscataquis County	Regional School Unit 41/Maine School Admin District 41	No	No	No	Yes	(207) 943-7346	349	28	12.5	84.0%	323 (92.6%)	4 (1.1%)	8 (2.3%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.3%)	12.9	110^th of 119 public high schools	7.6%		17.2	106^th of 121 public high schools	12.4%	4	49.2	26.0	27.4	$22,057

Frequently Asked Questions about Penobscot Valley High School

How many students attend Penobscot Valley High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 127 students attended Penobscot Valley High School.

Is Penobscot Valley High School a good school?

Penobscot Valley High School ranks 33^rd of 119 Maine high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Penobscot Valley High School?

Students at Penobscot Valley High School are 97% White, 2% Hispanic, 2% American Indian.

What district is Penobscot Valley High School in?

Regional School Unit 31/Maine School Admin District 31

What schools feed into Penobscot Valley High School?

Penobscot Valley High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Enfield Station Elementary School
Middle : Hichborn Middle School

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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.