Etna-Dixmont PK-8 School served 256 students in grades PK-8 during the 2013-2014 school year. The school is located in a mid-Maine rural community that has experienced economic decline as mills, a tannery and a large MBNA calling center exited the area over the past decade.
As a result, the unemployment and poverty rates are high. Sixty-eight percent of students qualify for free or reduced priced lunch, a number that has been on the rise in recent years, even though school enrollments have held steady.
Despite these conditions, student performance has improved dramatically in several subject areas and multiple grade levels. This case tells how Etna-Dixmont made these impressive performance gains.
