Ellsworth Elementary-Middle School

20 Forest Avenue

School District

Ellsworth Public Schools
Grade

PK, K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:11
Type

public

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on January 07, 2025

There’s too many students per teacher and the current grading system is a disgusting joke. Lots of homework is sent home instead of being done in class. It seems the kids have a whole other school day at times when they’re supposed to be coming home and letting their brain rest. If I had the option of a non religious private school I would immediately sign my child up but no such thing exists in Ellsworth. They also give out detentions to 5th grade and up for students that don’t charge their computers at home. Mind you not once has my child ever had to use the computer at home, it’s just one more thing for parents and students to stress about. I would say if you have the choice of where to send your children don’t send them to the Ellsworth Maine school system. They’re unorganized and understaffed. You end up becoming a secondary teacher for your child which can be difficult for working class parents (this is my experience and others I have spoken with). They also send out tests and quizzes that count up to 25% or more of their grade. This is being done as early as the 5th grade and sets a lot of kids up for failure. I’ve also caught grading mistakes which has knocked my child’s grade down but was fixed after an email to the teacher; but if you’re not on the parent portal you won’t know that’s happening. The parent portal is not always user friendly and some parents have had issues getting it set up or being able to contact the IT department to get it fixed (this is not the case for me). Just be aware that if you’re choosing to move to a place based on the school system I encourage you to do your research on this school before you pick Ellsworth. I hear Lamoine and Trenton have a better elementary school system and both are within 5-10 minutes of Ellsworth so you still get the benefit of a city nearby.
Submitted by parent on June 07, 2022

The school is great until grade 4, after that the teacher's bully and exclude students. One teacher made my daughter cry. Workload is unreasonable after grade 4.
Submitted by parent on April 13, 2016

The school looks for teacher convenience and forgets that the students are the reason they are there. Many staff members lack patience and are outright rude to children. The selective discipline is distributed politically where some students can do no wrong and others are targeted by staff. There is an authoritarian approach and very little encouragement. They teach to the test and have predictors in place to determine which students will score high on the state tests. Those that fall short of an arbitrary margin are held back despite reading at grade level. This is what some would call "cooking the books ". My child does okay in the school but the politics, ethnocentrism, and teachers first mentality are readily apparent to anyone who steps foot inside the school. Teachers and administrators first...students last.