Maine Highlands News

There were 1,573 white students enrolled in Piscataquis County ditricts in the 2022-23 school year, 2.5% more than the previous year, according to the Maine Department of Education.

Data showed that white students made up 94.6% of the 1,662 students in Piscataquis County ditricts during the 2022-23 school year. They were the most represented ethnicity.

Among the nine districts in Piscataquis County, Regional School Unit 68/Maine School Administrative District 68 recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 882 students.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Piscataquis County.

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."

District Name	White Students Enrollment	Total Enrollment	% of Total Enrollment
Regional School Unit 68/Maine School Administrative District 68	882	944	93.4%
Regional School Unit 80/Maine School Administrative District 04	463	479	96.7%
Greenville Public Schools	111	121	91.7%
Medford Public Schools	41	42	97.6%
Shirley Public Schools	35	35	100%
Willimantic Public Schools	18	18	100%
Bowerbank Public Schools	12	12	100%
Lake View Plantation Public Schools	7	7	100%
Beaver Cove Public Schools	4	4	100%