The top reported proficiency rate is 63% in English language arts. The lowest is 46% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Hichborn Middle School
Hichborn Middle School sits on Cross Street in Howland, a small rural town at the confluence of the Penobscot and Piscataquis Rivers in Penobscot County. The town describes itself as offering the best of rural living in Maine, and the built environment reflects that: homes and municipal buildings spread across roughly thirty-five square miles with no pedestrian commercial district, no public transit, and daily life oriented toward hunting, fishing, and trail-based recreation. Howland has been losing population over recent decades, and no major housing developments or commercial growth projects surfaced in publicly available sources. The trajectory is one of gradual decline rather than expansion. The town relies on volunteer fire and EMS services, and civic life centers on the town office, public library, recreation department, and transfer station.
The school serves grades six through eight and is part of RSU 31/MSAD 31. Enrollment is small for a middle school, consistent with the town's modest and shrinking population. The student body is almost entirely white, with a small number of American Indian or Alaska Native students and a single Hispanic student. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which aligns with the town's economic profile. Data on individualized education plans and English learner status was not available, so those populations could not be characterized.
On Maine's Through Year Assessment, Hichborn's results tell a generally positive story in English language arts, with a solid majority of tested students scoring proficient or above. Math proficiency was also above the midpoint, with more than half of tested students meeting the standard. Science results were weaker, with fewer than half of tested students reaching proficiency. The science assessment covers only certain grades, so the tested group was much smaller than the full school, which is typical for middle school science testing in Maine. Participation was near-universal across all subjects. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement, stability, or decline from prior years. A parent may want to ask the school how science instruction is structured across the three grade levels and whether the school has identified specific areas where students struggle.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. No data on course access, staffing ratios, discipline, attendance, or Title I status was provided, which limits the picture of what the daily academic experience looks like inside the building. Program offerings were not available either, so a family would need to contact the school directly to understand what electives, extracurriculars, or support services exist beyond the core curriculum.
The housing market in Howland is affordable relative to both state and national benchmarks. The typical home value sits well below the Maine state benchmark and roughly half the national benchmark. For a family looking to buy, the estimated monthly mortgage on a typical home in this area is modest, and rent costs appear lower than ownership costs. The broader Penobscot County market has seen an increase in active listings recently, with median listing prices in the county hovering above Howland's local values. Homes in the county are spending more time on the market than they did a year ago, suggesting some softening in demand. For a family considering a move to the area, housing costs are unlikely to be a barrier, though the limited inventory in a small town like Howland may constrain options.
No parent-relevant district changes, such as referenda, curriculum shifts, or property tax adjustments, were identified in publicly available sources for RSU 31/MSAD 31. The district brief came back largely empty, so a family would need to look to the district directly for information about strategic priorities or upcoming initiatives.
What Hichborn offers is a small middle school in a quiet, rural community where housing is affordable and outdoor recreation defines much of local life. Academic results in reading and math are reasonably strong, science is a softer area, and the school's small size means a tight peer group. Families seeking a setting like this should ask the school directly about programming, staffing, and student support, since the available data does not cover those dimensions.
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