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School district · Maine · LEAID 2314833

RSU 56

RSU 56 is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Maine districts (764 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for RSU 56 come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$59,383
Est. avg teacher salary

Below benchmark

$19,224
Per-pupil spending
764
Students enrolled
38th
Pct. in ME
$59,383

RSU 56 is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Maine districts (764 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort). Estimated average teacher salary is $59,383, below the national average of $70,245, serving 764 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • Smaller enrollment scale: RSU 56 is in the smallest third by enrollment among comparable Maine districts (764 students in the NCES CCD F-33 cohort).
  • 38th percentile for Maine
  • 35th percentile nationally
  • 32% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Maine ranks #34 of 49 on the salary estimate and #40 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • RSU 56 ranks #74 of 119 Maine districts by estimated teacher salary and #83 of 119 by per-pupil spending. Cape Elizabeth Public Schools pay #1 at $90,864 is not RSU 24 spending #1 at $38,957 per pupil
  • +11.9% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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LEAID 2314833 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

RSU 56 F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-BELOW -6% vs state RANK-ST-LOW P38 in state RANK-NAT-LOW P35 national PPE-MID $19K/pupil ENR-SMALL 764 students INSTR-LOW 32% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near St FY-2023-LIGHT FY2023 book

FY2023: $59,383 estimated average teacher salary · P38 in Maine · P35 nationally · 32% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: RSU ($173est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for RSU 56

Salary neighbourhood · RSU 56

RSU 56 sits mid-pack among in-state peers; the chart brackets it between the top and bottom pay poles (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).

est. salary
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey As of FY2023
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for RSU 56

RSU 56's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$59,383 35th percentile higher than 35% of 10,684 US districts

Show national distribution $30,000–$40,000: 155 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 1,360 US districts (13%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). Above this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). Above this entry. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Above this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). Above this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 112 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 57 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 25 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 13 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 10 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. RSU 56 $30,000 $190,000 every reliable-salary US district, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more US districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 · FY2023

RSU 56 in Maine's lower-third pay band

Same 119 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows RSU 56 ranks #74 of 119 Maine districts by estimated teacher salary and #83 of 119 by per-pupil spending. Cape Elizabeth Public Schools pay #1 at $90,864 is not RSU 24 spending #1 at $38,957 per pupil

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

The same districts by per-pupil spending

RSU 56 is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows RSU 24 leads spending at $38,957 per pupil; Cape Elizabeth Public Schools leads pay.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

What stands out about RSU 56

  • Estimated teacher pay here moved +11.9% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing Maine's statewide +20.0% by 8.1 points, a growth rate faster than 23% of the 159 Maine districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.

Maine sits close to national prices

Nominal district estimate
$59,383.333

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Maine price level
98.0 / 100

BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.

National-price equivalent
$60,618

+2% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Maine sit close to the national average, so the nominal and national-price figures tell nearly the same story here. That is not true in the most and least expensive states.

Regional price parity: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 all-items RPP by state. The adjustment applies a statewide index to a district figure, so it captures how Maine compares nationally, not how this district compares with others in its own state. Compare every state on this basis.

How this salary figure is calculated
Full NCES reading for RSU 56

What the Numbers Say About RSU 56

RSU 56 is a small school district in Maine, serving 764 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $19,224. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $59,383, placing the district in the moderately funded tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 2314833 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Maine statewide average of $62,872, teacher pay in RSU 56 runs materially below the state benchmark, a 5.5% gap, and below the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (15.5% differential). Among enrolling districts in Maine, it pays more than 38% of them. Maine itself ranks #34 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, RSU 56 reports $14.7M in total expenditure against $15.7M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 32% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $2.9M, special-education teacher pay is $0.5M.

How does RSU 56 compare?

Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Maine average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.

RSU 56 $59,383
Portland Public Schools $73,551
Maine avg $62,872
National avg $70,245

RSU 56 pays -19.3% less than Portland Public Schools · per-pupil $19,224 vs $23,132

Derived from NCES F-33 teacher salary expenditure (Z35-Z38) and CCD Staff Universe teacher FTE (FY2023); a small minority use the documented fallback. Unreliable service entities are excluded.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable Maine districts

On pay, RSU 56 sits closest to St George Public Schools; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Millinocket Public Schools. These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2023 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. St George Public Schools
  2. MSAD 46
  3. Blue Hill Public Schools
  4. RSU 19
  5. RSU 16
  6. RSU 04
  7. Vassalboro Public Schools
  8. RSU 58/MSAD 58
  9. Lisbon Public Schools
  10. RSU 54/MSAD 54
  11. RSU 60/MSAD 60
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Millinocket Public Schools
  2. RSU 04
  3. Gorham Public Schools
  4. RSU 39
  5. RSU 42/MSAD 42
  6. RSU 09
  7. Machias Public Schools
  8. Winthrop Public Schools
  9. RSU 38
  10. RSU 58/MSAD 58
  11. RSU 45/MSAD 45

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near RSU 56's smaller enrollment

Two out-of-state peer sets for RSU 56: closest on enrollment (764 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($59,383 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood.

Similar enrollment

Nearest other districts by NCES student count (floored at ≥200).

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other districts by F-33-derived average teacher salary, distinct from the enrollment row.

Enrollment and salaries from NCES CCD F-33; estimated teacher pay can diverge widely at the same student count because of state funding, cost of living, and local bargaining.

Revenue & Expenditure

$15.7M
Total Revenue
$14.7M
Total Expenditure
$4.7M
Instruction Salaries
32% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$2.9M
Regular Program
$0.5M
Special Education
$0.1M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 3 programs in RSU 56: the regular program, special education and other programs. It reports no separate figure for vocational programs. Together they are 76% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 24% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Maine Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Maine districts belongs to Cape Elizabeth Public Schools at $90,864. RSU 56 places 57 of 88 comparably sized districts, squarely in the middle band the state average actually represents. On BEA's price parity Maine sits near the national average, so its salaries need less adjustment than most; Nevada and Minnesota are its nearest price peers.

View all Maine districts →

Other Maine Districts

Smaller-district sample from 118 Maine peers; bar length shows pay magnitude within this enrollment band.

RSU 23
$68,228
666 students
RSU 12
$53,018
908 students
RSU 41/MSAD 41
$51,130
612 students
RSU 53/MSAD 53
$71,047
595 students
RSU 87/MSAD 23
$49,902
591 students
RSU 67
$55,760
940 students

This is a sample of 6 from 118 Maine districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about RSU 56
What is the average teacher salary in RSU 56?

The average teacher salary in RSU 56 is $59,383 (NCES CCD FY2023), from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by the district's reported teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).

How does RSU 56 teacher pay compare to the Maine average?

RSU 56 pays 5.5% less than the Maine state average of $62,872. The district's average is $59,383.

How does RSU 56 teacher pay compare to the national average?

RSU 56 pays 15.5% below the national average of $70,245. The district average is $59,383.

What is the per-pupil spending in RSU 56?

RSU 56 spends approximately $19,224 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of RSU 56's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 32% of RSU 56's total expenditure of $14.7M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for RSU 56
Disclaimer & data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher

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Editorial standards & source notes

According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. RSU 56's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2023 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2023.