Maine is well-known for its picturesque lighthouses, rugged coastline, and scenic natural beauty, including Acadia National Park. The park is home to Cadillac Mountain, the highest point of the eastern seaboard of the U.S. Besides the stunning tourist attractions, Maine is popular for having one of the highest literacy rates in the nation.
Maine has a robust public education system, with over 192 school districts and 2,657 public and private schools serving K-12 students. Families may struggle to pick the right school for their kids, with the ideal school depending on an individual’s interests and needs.
Luckily, we have compiled a comprehensive guide of the ten best schools in the state. The schools have excellent academic performances, quality faculty, positive student experiences and parent reviews, and numerous extracurricular opportunities. We also considered the GreatSchools.org rating and test scores.
Keep reading to learn the ten top-rated elementary, middle, and high schools in Maine, ranked in ascending order.
Best Elementary Schools
Longfellow School-Portland
432 Stevens Avenue, Portland, ME 04103
Longfellow School-Portland is a top-rated elementary school in Portland under the Portland Schools District. The school serves roughly 329 students in preschool through fifth grade. The school’s mission is to create a mutually supportive and interactive environment for all kids during their education journey.
The school receives a 9/10 overall score from GreatSchools.org. Most of the students in Longfellow School perform at or above their grade level compared to their peers across the state. 84% attain proficiency in English and science, while 84% gain proficiency in math.
Longfellow School offers an enriched curriculum focused on the child’s holistic development. Your child may enroll in arts, music, performing arts, visual arts, and computer learning programs. The school is also proud of its community garden yard used to carry out curriculum projects on ecology.
Longfellow School also has a highly active parents teacher organization that supports numerous school activities and events. The school enjoys relatively small classes, with one teacher for every twelve kids. All full-time instructors hold certifications, and 97% of all staff have over three years of experience dealing with children.
The school is an excellent pick for families in Portland looking for a comprehensive instructional curriculum for their kids.
Asa C Adams School
6 Goodridge Dr, Orono, ME 04473
Asa C Adams School is a top-performing public elementary school in Orono under the Regional School Unit 26 school district. Founded in 1957, the school is named after Dr. Asa C Adams, who served on the school board for over 21 years. Adams School currently serves roughly 318 students in Pre-K through fifth grade.
Standardized test scores for the school are far above the state average. From data verified by GreatSchools.org, 72% of students attain proficiency in science, 70% in English, and 64% in math. Asa C Adams School receives an overall 9/10 rating.
The school’s small setting allows it to provide personalized attention to each child. One teacher for every eight students allows the school to maintain small class sizes. Additionally, all full-time teachers are certified.
Asa C Adams also has a full-time nurse on their staff to cater to the kids’ health needs. Parents at the school praised the faculty members in their reviews. One parent highlights the caring and committed teachers who challenged their child and created a supportive culture within the classroom.
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Kennebunkport Consolidated School
25 School St, Kennebunkport, ME 04046
Kennebunkport Consolidated School (KCS) is an award-winning elementary school in Kennebunkport under the Regional School Unit 21 school district. It serves roughly 156 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The school received a 9/10 overall score on GreatSchools.org.
The U.S. Department of Education identified the school as a National Blue Ribbon School in 2010. KCS provides targeted, personalized instruction in multiage classrooms, strengthening the kids’ emotional and social well-being. The school also offers enrichment programs on all levels in weekly special classes, such as art, music, physical education, library, and Spanish.
A quick check of Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) data reveals that students at the school perform at or above grade level in English language arts and math. 61% attain proficiency in math and a further 71% in English.
The school has one teacher for every ten kids, allowing the instructors to provide personalized attention to their students. Besides, all full-time faculty members hold active certifications.
Reviews from former students reveal a school with teachers who are ever concerned about their students. In a review on niche.com, one alumnus highlighted that teachers are generally nice and seem to care. The school is an excellent pick for families in Kennebunkport.
Mildred L Day School
600 Limerick Rd, Arundel, ME 04046
Mildred L Day School is a top-performing elementary school in Arundel under the Regional School Unit 21 school district. The school hosts roughly 200 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The school prides itself on providing a welcoming environment that inspires learners to be thoughtful and develop an intrinsic drive for excellence.
Mildred L Day offers various school programs, including allied arts, social work, and counseling. Most students attain proficiency levels in common core subjects in their respective grades.
The school has relatively small classes, with one teacher for every thirteen kids. It allows for personalized student attention and builds stronger bonds between the faculty and the students. Additionally, most teachers at the school are highly qualified, with nearly all having more than three years of experience and all full-time instructional staff holding certifications.
Parents at the school are full of praise for the school’s leadership, support staff, and faculty members. One parent described the principal as caring and professional. The parent is also pleased with the school displaying the kids’ artwork prominently around the school. Mildred L Day is a top pick for parents in Arundel searching for a small, inclusive learning community.
Best Middle Schools
Marshwood Middle School
626 Dow Hwy, Eliot, ME 03903
Marshwood Middle is a public school in Eliot under the Regional School Unit 35 school district. It serves roughly 458 students in sixth to eighth grade. The school prides itself on providing a challenging curriculum that meets the unique needs of each learner, promoting lifelong learning and personal development.
Marshwood Middle has a top-rated allied arts program that helps complement the traditional curriculum. Some courses available under the program include band, chorus, piano, art, Spanish and physical education. On MEA standardized tests, 89% of students perform at or above mastery level in science and 75% in English.
The school also runs a gifted and talented program where students are screened on general intellectual ability, specific academic aptitude, or artistic ability in literary, performing, or visual arts. The faculty at the school is highly qualified to meet the needs of both regular and talented kids, with all teachers having over three years of experience and being certified.
Outside class, students can participate in various athletic programs available at the school. Some of the Marshwood Middle sports teams include field hockey, soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, lacrosse, and cheerleading. Marshwood Middle is an excellent pick for families searching for a well-rounded education for their kids.
Conners-Emerson School
Eden St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609
Conners-Emerson is a top-rated public school in the Bar Harbor Public Schools district. The school earns a 9/10 overall rating from GreatSchools.org. It serves approximately 337 students kindergarten through eighth-grade.
Students at Conners-Emerson excel in standardized test scores, achieving mastery at rates higher than the state average. According to GreatSchools.org, 85% of the students attain proficiency in science and 78% in English.
Besides the common core subjects, young scholars can participate in specialized enrichment programs. These courses include art, band, French, library, and music. The school also runs a gifted and talented program for kids who may require tailored instruction to meet their unique needs.
Conners-Emerson has small classes, with one teacher for every eight students. The low student-teacher ratio allows the students to receive more targeted instruction and feedback from the faculty members. The school also has a full-time nurse and a part-time social worker.
The majority of the parents have expressed positive feedback for the school. One parent indicated that Conners-Emerson provided their kids a pleasant and well-rounded environment. Another one raves about the excellent communication between the teachers and the parents.
In the News
On June 9, 2023, WDEA 1370 reported on Conners-Emerson's end of school send-off for their students. All of the teachers and staff at the school gathered outside as the buses and cars pulled out for one last time in the 2023-24 school year. Teachers and staff waved goodbye to students, wishing them well in their summer endeavors. This tradition is a great showcase of the care that all of Conners-Emerson's faculty and staff have for their students. It's a culmination of the relationship built between teacher and student over the course of a school year.
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Falmouth Middle School
52 Woodville Rd, Falmouth, ME 04105
Falmouth Middle is an award-winning middle school under the Falmouth Public Schools District. It serves approximately 548 students in grades 6-8. Falmouth received the National Blue Ribbon award in 2008 and 2016. GreatSchools.org gave the school a 9/10 overall rating.
The students’ standardized test performance proves the school’s academic excellence. 83% of scholars attain the mastery level for English in their respective grades. 89% and 63% of the students also gain proficiency in science and math, respectively.
Falmouth Middle encourages its students to participate in extracurricular activities, offering numerous before and after-school club activities. Your child may join clubs such as the French club, Spanish club, Intramurals, Dungeons and Dragons, garden club, and many more.
The school has one teacher for every nine students. The small class sizes allow the students to receive personalized attention and build meaningful bonds with their teachers. Moreover, the instructional staff is highly qualified, with every teacher having over three years of experience and certification.
One parent at the school praises Falmouth Middle’s teachers, numerous elective opportunities, and extracurricular activities. The school is an excellent pick for families living in Falmouth.
Best High Schools
Forest Hills Consolidated School
606 Main Street Jackman, ME 04945
Forest Hills Consolidated School is a top-rated high school in Falmouth under the Regional School Unit 82 Msad 12 school district. The school enjoys a small school setting with 142 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. The school received a 9/10 overall rating from GreatSchools.org.
Forest Hill boasts a 100% graduation rate. Half the graduates proceed to college vocational training and all return to these tertiary institutions for their second year. This is a testament to the college preparatory academics provided at the school.
The school provides numerous opportunities for ninth to twelfth-grade students to earn college credits. The school offers advanced placement courses that see a 5% participation rate. Additionally, 14% of the students participate in dual enrollment classes.
The school provides students with numerous opportunities to develop their talents and interests through extracurricular activities and athletics. Some popular sports teams at Forest Hill include basketball, softball, and golf.
Parents expressed their satisfaction with the school’s performance and the quality of education provided to their kids through reviews on GreatSchools.org. One parent named the school as a front for standard-based education in Maine.
Cape Elizabeth High School
345 Ocean House Rd, Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107
Cape Elizabeth High School is a high-performing high school that provides rigorous college preparatory instruction to roughly 533 students in ninth to twelfth grade. The school is in Cape Elizabeth Public Schools. It received an impressive 10/10 rating from GreatSchools.org.
Cape Elizabeth High School has been named a National Blue Ribbon School on two separate occasions, in 2004 and 2019. A 100% graduation rate at the school is evidence of the high quality of education provided. 87% of the graduates pursue a college or vocational training program.
The school offers 18 advanced placement courses, which attract 38% participation. Cape Elizabeth has one teacher for every eight students. The small class size allows the school to provide personalized college preparatory instruction.
A parent review in GreatSchools.org speaks highly of Cape Elizabeth High and its ability to prepare students for success in the classroom and beyond. The parent notes the tight cohesion between the parents, teachers, and students and the strong sense of community.
In the News
On June 14, 2023, the Forecaster reported that Cape Elizabeth 2023 graduate Will Fibich had lofty aspirations to work in aviation. The graduating senior is planning to attend college for aviation, and is currently closing in on getting his pilot's license. He's been flying since he was 14. A college counselor at Cape Elizabeth noted Fibich's drive and passion for aviation. When asked what advice he had for his younger self, he advised not to procrastinate and to get what you need to do done so you can achieve your goals.
Greely High School
303 Main St, Cumberland Center, ME 04021
Greely High School is a top-rated public high school in Cumberland under the Regional School Unit 51 Msad 51 school district. Named a National Blue Ribbon School in 1987, the school prides itself in providing college preparatory education to roughly 667 students in grades 9-12.
GreatSchools.org gave the school a 10/10 rating, one of the only two in the state. The school boasts a 96% graduation rate, with 85% of graduates proceeding to college or for vocational training.
The school offers 14 advanced placement courses that allow students to earn college credits. The AP courses have a 22% participation rate. The school has small classes, with one teacher for every ten students. This allows teachers to provide personalized attention and feedback to their students.
The teachers at the school are experienced, with 98% having more than three years of teaching experience. Moreover, all full-time instructors are certified. Greely High has a full-time nurse and social worker to cater to the scholars’ medical and social needs. It also employs a part-time psychologist and law enforcement officer on its staff.
Parents and former students praise the school, highlighting the strong sense of community as one of the top things they love about it. One parent notes the high parental involvement in the school as one of its positives. Greely High is an excellent pick for parents in Cumberland searching for a rigorous academic environment for their children.
In the News
On June 6, 2023, the Forecaster reported that three Greely High seniors had created a curriculum for a climate change course that they hoped their alma mater, and other schools in Maine, would use. The curriculum begins with a study on indigenous perspectives on the Earth and how students can think differently about their relationship with nature. From there, the curriculum covers five other units on climate change. Two teachers at Greely High have already expressed interest in using the curriculum.
If you'd like to read more news about Greely High, check out this story from March 2023 or this story from February 2023.
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Find The Right School For Your Child
Maine is famous for its picturesque landscapes and coastlines. It also boasts one of the highest literacy rates in the nation. The state is home to some of the best K-12 schools in the country. The schools on this list have been consistently recognized for their academic excellence, extracurricular activities, and community involvement.
We hope this comprehensive guide will help you pick the right school for your child. Remember that the perfect school should meet your child’s needs and preferences.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©David Prahl/Shutterstock.com.