Helen Thompson School

309 Spears Corner Road
West Gardiner, ME 04345

www.msad11.org/o/ht

253 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 5th

School Overview

Helen Thompson School, located at 309 Spears Corner Road in West Gardiner, Maine, serves as a primary educational institution within the Regional School Unit 2 (RSU 2) district. As a community-focused elementary school, it is dedicated to fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment for students in the surrounding area. The school emphasizes foundational academic skills while encouraging social-emotional growth, aiming to prepare young learners for their future educational transitions within the district.

The school is well-regarded for its small-town atmosphere, benefiting from its location in a quiet, rural setting that emphasizes community involvement and family engagement. By maintaining strong ties between educators, students, and parents, Helen Thompson School seeks to provide a balanced curriculum that meets state educational standards while addressing the individual needs of its diverse student body. As part of RSU 2, the school benefits from district-wide resources and collaboration, ensuring that students have access to a consistent and comprehensive public education experience.

253

Total Students

19.2

Full-Time Teachers

13.2

Student/Teacher Ratio

32.0%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Helen Thompson School
Demographic	Student Count
White	237
Hispanic	6
Black	5
Asian	2
Two or More	3

White
237 (93.7 %)
Hispanic
6 (2.4 %)
Black
5 (2.0 %)
Two or More
3 (1.2 %)
Asian
2 (0.8 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	RSU 11/MSAD 11
Phone:	(207)724-3930
Website:	http://www.msad11.org/o/ht
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 5th
Total Students:	253
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	19.2
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	13.2
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Provision 2
Qualified Free Lunch:	68
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	13

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Pre-Kindergarten 26

Kindergarten 32

Grade 1 39

Grade 2 33

Grade 3 42

Grade 4 38

Grade 5 43