The top reported proficiency rate is 68% in Math. The lowest is 32% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Captain Albert W. Stevens School
Captain Albert W. Stevens School sits on Elementary Avenue in Belfast, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of RSU 71. It is a traditional public school, not a charter or magnet, with an enrollment size typical for an elementary school serving this grade band in a small Maine city. The student body is predominantly white, with a small group of multiracial students and a handful from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which points to a mix of working-class and middle-income families in the catchment area.
On the most recent Maine Through Year Assessment, the school posted strong results in both math and English language arts. A clear majority of tested students reached proficiency in each subject, with math edging slightly ahead of ELA. Participation was near universal. These are solid outcomes for an elementary school and suggest that core literacy and numeracy instruction is landing well across the tested grades.
Science tells a different story. Proficiency on the Maine Science Assessment was markedly lower, with well under half of tested students reaching the proficient level. The tested group was far smaller than the math and ELA cohorts, which likely reflects that only a single grade is assessed in science at this school. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, asking how science instruction is sequenced across the early grades and what supports are in place as students approach the tested grade.
Several data gaps are worth naming. The school does not report IEP or English learner counts, so it is hard to characterize the full range of student needs served. We found no data on course access, staffing ratios, attendance, or discipline. No program offerings were listed, and no civil-rights data was available. No locale classification was provided, though Belfast's character comes through clearly in publicly reported descriptions of the community.
Belfast is a small coastal city with a working waterfront and a historic downtown rebuilt in brick after devastating fires in the nineteenth century. The streetscape holds Federal, Greek Revival, and Italianate buildings from the era when shipbuilding generated the town's wealth, and both residential and commercial historic districts are listed on the National Register. The Harbor Walk and Rail Trail runs along the waterfront and up the Passagassawakeag River, crossing the Armistice Bridge, a pedestrian span. A self-guided Museum in the Streets walking tour layers history over the everyday streets. Restaurants, galleries, shops, a movie theater, pubs, and farmer's markets sit within walking distance of the harbor. This is a community with a visible sense of place, and families at the school are embedded in a town that takes its history and waterfront identity seriously.
Housing in the school's zip code is moderately priced relative to the state as a whole, sitting below the Maine benchmark and close to the national midpoint. The price-to-income ratio is moderate by current national standards. Rent data was not available. With mortgage rates still elevated, the monthly cost of ownership is a real consideration for families looking to buy into the catchment area, though the market here is more accessible than much of Maine.
We looked for recent parent-relevant changes in RSU 71 but found little of lasting impact, so there is nothing specific to flag about district-level shifts. No strategic priorities or district initiatives were available in the material reviewed.
Captain Albert W. Stevens reads as a solid elementary school with strong literacy and math outcomes, a weaker science result worth asking about, and a setting in a town that offers a distinct coastal-Maine quality of life. Families who want a traditional public elementary education in a walkable, historically rich community with waterfront access may find it a good fit.
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