Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary· 8 schools in district

James Otis Kaler Elementary School

165 South Kelsey Street, South Portland, ME 04106South Portland Public Schools →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades PK–04Non-Charter
220
Students
Total enrolled
$16,890
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↑ 18% vs nat'l
11.1 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↓ 28% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Small public school
Serves 220 students in grades PK–04 in South Portland, Maine.
18% above average funding
District spends $16,890 per pupil, 18% more than the national average of $14,347.
11.1 : 1 student-teacher ratio
This is well below the national average — smaller classes of 15.4:1.
About This School

James Otis Kaler Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary in South Portland, Maine, serving grades PK–04 with 220 students. The district invests $16,890 per student — 18% above the national average of $14,347, and maintains a 11.1:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller than the national norm of 15.4:1. About 33% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body.

Student Body & Demographics at James Otis Kaler Elementary School

220
Total Students
11.1 : 1
Student:Teacher
33%
Free Lunch
20
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (PK–04) are served by this school
Gender Distribution108 male · 112 female
49%
51%
Male 49%Female 51%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility33%
National avg 52% · 73 students
Student Composition
47%
9%
35%
Asian4%
White47%
Hispanic / Latino9%
Black35%
Multiracial5%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 231233000716

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$16,890Above avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$16,890
State avg
$25,124
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$7,431
Student Support$3,209
Administration$2,027
Operations$2,533
Other$1,689
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $16,890 spent per student, an estimated $7,482 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
21%
77%
State government
20.6%
Local (property tax)
77.2%
Federal programs
2.2%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Above-average funding — $16,890/student vs $14,347 nationally
  • 11.1:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller classes than the national norm of 15.4:1
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
Waldo T Skillin Elementary SchoolDora L Small Elementary SchoolFrank I Brown Elementary SchoolDyer Elementary School
↓
Middle
Daniel F. Mahoney Middle SchoolMemorial Middle School
↓
High School
South Portland High School
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelElementary
GradesPK – 04
Location—
CountyCumberland County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictSouth Portland Public Schools →
Phone: (207)799-3214
NCES ID: 231233000716
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in South Portland seeking a public elementary school, especially those prioritizing above-average resources and classroom investment. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in South Portland Public Schools
High
South Portland High School
1,019 students · 09–12
27% FRL
Mid
Daniel F. Mahoney Middle School
424 students · 05–08
23% FRL
Mid
Memorial Middle School
388 students · 06–08
26% FRL
Elem
Waldo T Skillin Elementary School
339 students · KG–04
24% FRL
Elem
Dora L Small Elementary School
260 students · KG–05
16% FRL
Elem
Frank I Brown Elementary School
235 students · KG–04
23% FRL
Elem
Dyer Elementary School
196 students · KG–05
11% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
165 South Kelsey Street, South Portland, ME 04106
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

Elementary
1
How is early reading and literacy taught?
Look for evidence-based, structured approaches
2
How does the school communicate with families?
Frequency, channels, translation support
3
What support exists for students who fall behind?
Tutoring, intervention programs, IEPs
4
What's the average class size here?
National avg is ~23 for elementary
5
What before/after-school programs are available?
Important for working parents
6
How is student social-emotional wellbeing supported?
Counselors, community circles, conflict resolution
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.