The top reported proficiency rate is 72% in English language arts. The lowest is 56% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Pemetic Elementary School
Pemetic Elementary School sits in the village center of Southwest Harbor, a small coastal community on Mount Desert Island. It is the town's only school, serving prekindergarten through eighth grade, and its building carries local history as the former home of Pemetic High School. The school is part of Southwest Harbor Public Schools, a single-town district. After eighth grade, students continue to Mount Desert Island High School in the neighboring town of Mount Desert.
The school is small by any measure, with a modest enrollment spread across all grade levels from prekindergarten through eighth. Class sizes at each grade are intimate. The student body is predominantly white, with a small number of students identifying as Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, or two or more races. The share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is relatively low compared with many Maine schools, sitting at roughly one in five. Data on individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so those profiles cannot be characterized here.
Academic results from the most recent Maine state assessments are a clear strength in English language arts. Nearly three-quarters of tested students in grades three through eight reached proficiency in ELA, a strong result. Science proficiency was also solid, with about two-thirds of tested students meeting the bar. Math was the softer area, with a little more than half of tested students proficient. Participation was high across all three subjects. Because the number of tested students is small, a few individuals can move results meaningfully in either direction, so a parent may want to look into how performance holds up across grade levels and over time with the school.
State testing data does not extend to prekindergarten through second grade, which is expected given that Maine assesses students beginning in third grade. No trend data across multiple years was available, so it is not possible to say whether these results represent improvement, decline, or stability.
The school's setting is woven into the village rather than set apart on a campus. The building is near the harborfront and main road corridor, with town offices, the public library, and small shops all within the compact core of Southwest Harbor. The grounds include baseball fields and a soccer field. The broader town is car-dependent, with residential areas spread across several villages including Manset and Seawall. Acadia National Park borders the community, giving families access to extensive outdoor recreation.
Southwest Harbor has a dual identity as a working waterfront and a seasonal destination. Boatbuilding anchors the local economy, with Hinckley Yachts as the largest employer alongside Ellis Boat Company and Morris Yachts. The Coast Guard maintains a facility in the harbor, and hospitality businesses such as the Claremont Hotel serve summer visitors. The town is slow-growing and stable, with no major housing developments or expansion corridors publicly reported. This is a community centered on its maritime economy and tourism rather than rapid change.
The housing market is expensive relative to both Maine and national benchmarks. Home values in the school's zip code sit well above the state and national figures, and the estimated monthly mortgage cost is high relative to typical incomes. No rental data was available for this area, so a full picture of rental affordability is not possible. Parents considering a move here should expect that buying a home requires a substantial income or equity.
Several categories of school-level information were absent from the available data. No program offerings, course access details, staffing figures, discipline data, or attendance data were provided. The district brief did not surface any parent-relevant changes or strategic initiatives, so those are left out rather than guessed. Title I status, school type, and magnet status were also not reported.
What the data does show is a small, village-centered PK-8 school with strong reading results, solid science performance, and a softer but still positive math result, serving a relatively advantaged student population in a high-cost coastal community. For a family drawn to Mount Desert Island's coastal setting and willing to navigate the housing market, Pemetic offers a tight-knit school environment with academic results that hold up well in English language arts and science.
See more original research from School Decision →