The top reported proficiency rate is 68% in English language arts. The lowest is 54% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on William S. Cohen School
William S. Cohen School is a public middle school in Bangor, Maine, serving grades six through eight as part of Bangor Public Schools. It sits on Garland Street in the city's 04401 zip code and draws families from across the community. The school is a conventional public middle school, neither a charter nor a magnet, and it operates as the primary middle-grade pathway for the district.
The enrollment is moderate for a middle school, with the three grades balanced almost evenly. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller groups identifying as multiracial, Hispanic, Black, Asian, and American Indian or Alaska Native. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which sits below what many Maine middle schools report. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so those populations cannot be characterized here.
On the most recent Maine Through Year Assessment, Cohen School's results were solid across the board. English language arts proficiency was the strongest area, with a clear majority of tested students reaching proficient or above. Math results were also above the midpoint, with most students demonstrating proficiency. Science, tested at a single grade level, showed a smaller majority proficient, trailing the other two subjects. Participation was high across all three assessments. Average scale scores were not reported, so the depth of performance beyond the proficiency cut cannot be assessed. No multi-year trend data was available, which means there is no way to compare these results against prior years or judge whether scores are rising or falling.
The school's broader environment is harder to characterize from the available data. Information on discipline, course access, staffing ratios, attendance, and Title I status was not provided, so a parent would need to ask the school directly about those dimensions. The district brief turned up no reports of lasting, parent-relevant changes in Bangor Public Schools recently, which suggests stability in the district's operations, though it also means there is little publicly documented to point to.
Bangor's housing market gives families a relatively affordable entry point compared with the rest of the state and the nation. Home values in the school's zip code sit well below the Maine state benchmark and further below the national one. Rents are similarly modest. The broader Penobscot County market has seen a substantial increase in active listings recently, while pending sales have dropped and median listing prices have eased downward. Homes are taking longer to sell than a year ago. For families considering a move into the Cohen catchment area, this translates into more choices and slightly more negotiating room than existed a year earlier, with mortgage rates hovering in the mid-six percent range. Renting remains cheaper than carrying a mortgage at current rates, which may matter for families testing the area before committing to a purchase.
The affordability picture, combined with steady academic results, positions Cohen School as a practical option for middle-grade families in the Bangor area. The proficiency numbers suggest the school is doing creditable work in core subjects, particularly in literacy. Science is the area where results trail furthest, and a parent may want to look into this further with the school. Without trend data, it is hard to say whether the current proficiency levels represent growth, stability, or something to watch. The gaps in the public record on staffing, discipline, and special populations are wide enough that they warrant direct conversation with school leadership before drawing a fuller conclusion. What the data does show is a mid-sized, stable middle school with respectable academic outcomes in an affordable small-city setting.
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