ME Commissioner of Education Pender Makin 2023 | Maine Department of Education
ME Commissioner of Education Pender Makin 2023 | Maine Department of Education
Data showed that Maine welcomed 172,253 students during the 2022-23 school year. White students comprised 86.1% of the student body, the most represented ethnicity in the state.
Among the 16 Maine counties, Cumberland County registered the highest enrollment of white students in the 2022-23 school year, welcoming 29,831 students.
Recent data from Maine's public schools for the 2023-2024 school year reveal a noticeable growth in Hispanic, Black and multiracial enrollment over the past decade. While over 85% of students still identify as white, this shows a slow but steady increase in diversity within the state schools.
Despite these shifts, Maine's public school enrollment remains about 4% below pre-pandemic levels, despite a slight rebound from the sharp drop during the 2020-21 school year. The decline is partly due to an increase in homeschooling and more students completing high school early through college courses and adult education.
A spokesperson for the Maine Department of Education also mentioned in an interview with Maine Public some other pandemic-related factors persist, with "some parents choosing not to enroll younger children in school and older students who took on jobs to support their families during the pandemic and who are still counted on to provide that support."
| County Name | White Students Enrollment | Total Enrollment in 2022-23 | % of Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County | 29,831 | 38,512 | 77.5% |
| York County | 22,616 | 25,735 | 87.9% |
| Penobscot County | 17,416 | 19,603 | 88.8% |
| Kennebec County | 14,676 | 16,108 | 91.1% |
| Androscoggin County | 11,395 | 15,076 | 75.6% |
| Oxford County | 7,817 | 8,527 | 91.7% |
| Aroostook County | 7,635 | 8,585 | 88.9% |
| Somerset County | 6,009 | 6,400 | 93.9% |
| Hancock County | 5,770 | 6,351 | 90.9% |
| Sagadahoc County | 4,224 | 4,595 | 91.9% |
| Knox County | 3,976 | 4,240 | 93.8% |
| Franklin County | 3,923 | 4,180 | 93.9% |
| Lincoln County | 3,804 | 4,041 | 94.1% |
| Waldo County | 3,679 | 3,962 | 92.9% |
| Washington County | 3,396 | 4,061 | 83.6% |
| Piscataquis County | 2,152 | 2,277 | 94.5% |
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