ME Commissioner of Education Pender Makin 2023 | Maine Department of Education
ME Commissioner of Education Pender Makin 2023 | Maine Department of Education
Of the 19,603 students attending Penobscot County schools, 88.8% were white.
Multiracial students were the second largest ethnic group among Penobscot County students (4.1%).
In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Penobscot County, representing 90.1% of the student body.
Bangor High School had the evenest distribution of races among county schools, with 82.3% white, 6% multiracial, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 2.8% African American, 2.6% Asian, 1.9% American Indian or Alaskan Native, and 0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.
In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county increased by 1.6% when compared to the previous year.
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 | Most Prevalent Ethnicity | Percent of Total Student Body | Total Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingman Elementary School | White | 99.9% | 14 |
| Katahdin Middle/High School | White | 97.9% | 144 |
| Central High School | White | 97.4% | 304 |
| Ella P. Burr School | White | 97.1% | 308 |
| Mattanawcook Junior High School | White | 95.9% | 318 |
| Enfield Station Elementary School | White | 95.8% | 216 |
| Dexter Regional High School | White | 95.7% | 253 |
| Lee/Winn School | White | 95.7% | 94 |
| Schenck High School | White | 95.7% | 93 |
| Ridge View Community School | White | 95.4% | 587 |
| Stearns Junior-Senior High School | White | 95.3% | 212 |
| Holden School | White | 95.2% | 126 |
| Alton Elementary School | White | 95.1% | 81 |
| Mattanawcook Academy | White | 95.1% | 285 |
| Etna-Dixmont School | White | 94.7% | 188 |
| Mt. Jefferson Junior High School | White | 94.7% | 75 |
| Opal Myrick Elementary School | White | 94.5% | 145 |
| Hermon High School | White | 94.4% | 555 |
| Hichborn Middle School | White | 94.3% | 88 |
| Hampden Academy | White | 94.1% | 781 |
| Carmel Elementary School | White | 94% | 166 |
| Nokomis Regional Middle School | White | 93.9% | 541 |
| Helen S. Dunn Elementary School | White | 93.8% | 144 |
| Caravel Middle School | White | 93.4% | 198 |
| Central Community Elementary School | White | 93.2% | 502 |
| Katahdin Elementary School | White | 93.2% | 147 |
| Center Drive School | White | 92.9% | 366 |
| Patricia A. Duran School | White | 92.9% | 477 |
| Penobscot Valley High School | White | 92.8% | 125 |
| Medway Middle School | White | 92.7% | 110 |
| Granite Street School | White | 92.6% | 217 |
| Suzanne M. Smith Elementary School | White | 92.5% | 214 |
| Holbrook School | White | 92.1% | 189 |
| Sebasticook Valley Elementary School | White | 92.1% | 330 |
| Reeds Brook Middle School | White | 92% | 338 |
| Glenburn Elementary School | White | 91.5% | 387 |
| Hermon Middle School | White | 91.3% | 321 |
| Earl C. McGraw School | White | 91.1% | 291 |
| Dr. Lewis S. Libby School | White | 90.7% | 279 |
| Central Middle School | White | 90.5% | 232 |
| Nokomis Regional High School | White | 90.2% | 622 |
| Brewer High School | White | 90.1% | 715 |
| Orono High School | White | 90.1% | 373 |
| Newburgh Elementary School | White | 89.8% | 49 |
| George B. Weatherbee School | White | 88.9% | 288 |
| John Bapst Memorial High School | White | 88.6% | 422 |
| Old Town High School | White | 88.3% | 520 |
| Eddington School | White | 88.1% | 135 |
| Leonard Middle School | White | 88.1% | 302 |
| Indian Island School | American Indian or Alaskan Native | 87.9% | 83 |
| Viola Rand School | White | 87.5% | 72 |
| Old Town Elementary School | White | 86.9% | 419 |
| Brewer Community School | White | 85.9% | 884 |
| Asa C. Adams School | White | 85.6% | 306 |
| Orono Middle School | White | 85.6% | 146 |
| Veazie Community School | White | 84.9% | 165 |
| William S. Cohen School | White | 84.1% | 364 |
| Fairmount School | White | 83.4% | 241 |
| Bangor High School | White | 82.3% | 1,071 |
| Fourteenth Street School | White | 80.6% | 160 |
| Abraham Lincoln School | White | 80.5% | 164 |
| James F. Doughty School | White | 79.1% | 363 |
| Indian Township School | American Indian or Alaskan Native | 79% | 124 |
| Vine Street School | White | 78.5% | 191 |
| Lee Academy | White | 77.7% | 112 |
| Fruit Street School | White | 76% | 333 |
| Mary Snow School | White | 75.8% | 231 |
| Downeast School | White | 75.2% | 307 |
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