There were 354 American Indian or Alaskan Native students enrolled in Penobscot County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 113.3% more than the previous year, according to the Maine Department of Education.
Data showed that American Indian or Alaskan Native students made up 1.8% of the 19,603 students in Penobscot County schools at the time. They were the fourth most represented ethnicity.
Among the 68 schools in the county, Indian Township School recorded the highest enrollment of American Indian or Alaskan Native students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 98 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.”
| School Name | American Indian or Alaskan Native Students Enrollment | Total Enrollment | % of Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangor High School | 20 | 1,071 | 1.9% |
| Brewer Community School | 5 | 884 | 0.6% |
| Hampden Academy | 4 | 781 | 0.5% |
| Brewer High School | 9 | 715 | 1.3% |
| Nokomis Regional High School | 2 | 622 | 0.3% |
| Ridge View Community School | 3 | 587 | 0.5% |
| Hermon High School | 1 | 555 | 0.2% |
| Nokomis Regional Middle School | 3 | 541 | 0.6% |
| Old Town High School | 12 | 520 | 2.3% |
| Central Community Elementary School | 2 | 502 | 0.4% |
| Patricia A. Duran School | 2 | 477 | 0.4% |
| John Bapst Memorial High School | 4 | 422 | 0.9% |
| Old Town Elementary School | 1 | 419 | 0.2% |
| Glenburn Elementary School | 1 | 387 | 0.3% |
| Orono High School | 10 | 373 | 2.7% |
| Center Drive School | 3 | 366 | 0.8% |
| William S. Cohen School | 1 | 364 | 0.3% |
| James F. Doughty School | 10 | 363 | 2.8% |
| Reeds Brook Middle School | 2 | 338 | 0.6% |
| Fruit Street School | 1 | 333 | 0.3% |
| Sebasticook Valley Elementary School | 2 | 330 | 0.6% |
| Hermon Middle School | 2 | 321 | 0.6% |
| Mattanawcook Junior High School | 1 | 318 | 0.3% |
| Ella P. Burr School | 0 | 308 | — |
| Downeast School | 4 | 307 | 1.3% |
| Asa C. Adams School | 2 | 306 | 0.7% |
| Central High School | 1 | 304 | 0.3% |
| Leonard Middle School | 3 | 302 | 1% |
| Earl C. McGraw School | 2 | 291 | 0.7% |
| George B. Weatherbee School | 0 | 288 | — |
| Mattanawcook Academy | 2 | 285 | 0.7% |
| Dr. Lewis S. Libby School | 11 | 279 | 3.9% |
| Dexter Regional High School | 5 | 253 | 2% |
| Fairmount School | 3 | 241 | 1.2% |
| Central Middle School | 0 | 232 | — |
| Mary Snow School | 4 | 231 | 1.7% |
| Granite Street School | 0 | 217 | — |
| Enfield Station Elementary School | 0 | 216 | — |
| Suzanne M. Smith Elementary School | 0 | 214 | — |
| Stearns Junior-Senior High School | 2 | 212 | 0.9% |
| Caravel Middle School | 1 | 198 | 0.5% |
| Vine Street School | 0 | 191 | — |
| Holbrook School | 1 | 189 | 0.5% |
| Etna-Dixmont School | 0 | 188 | — |
| Carmel Elementary School | 0 | 166 | — |
| Veazie Community School | 1 | 165 | 0.6% |
| Abraham Lincoln School | 1 | 164 | 0.6% |
| Fourteenth Street School | 1 | 160 | 0.6% |
| Katahdin Elementary School | 4 | 147 | 2.7% |
| Orono Middle School | 2 | 146 | 1.4% |
| Opal Myrick Elementary School | 0 | 145 | — |
| Helen S. Dunn Elementary School | 4 | 144 | 2.8% |
| Katahdin Middle/High School | 0 | 144 | — |
| Eddington School | 1 | 135 | 0.7% |
| Holden School | 0 | 126 | — |
| Penobscot Valley High School | 5 | 125 | 4% |
| Indian Township School | 98 | 124 | 79% |
| Lee Academy | 12 | 112 | 10.7% |
| Medway Middle School | 1 | 110 | 0.9% |
| Lee/Winn School | 1 | 94 | 1.1% |
| Schenck High School | 0 | 93 | — |
| Hichborn Middle School | 3 | 88 | 3.4% |
| Indian Island School | 73 | 83 | 88% |
| Alton Elementary School | 2 | 81 | 2.5% |
| Mt. Jefferson Junior High School | 1 | 75 | 1.3% |
| Viola Rand School | 1 | 72 | 1.4% |
| Newburgh Elementary School | 1 | 49 | 2% |
| Kingman Elementary School | 0 | 14 | — |
