Maine Highlands News

There were 533 Hispanic students enrolled in Penobscot County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 6.2% more than the previous year, according to the Maine Department of Education.

Data showed that Hispanic students made up 2.7% of the 19,603 students in Penobscot County schools at the time. They were the third most represented ethnicity.

Among the 68 schools in the county, Bangor High School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 46 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	Hispanic Students Enrollment	Total Enrollment	% of Total Enrollment
Bangor High School	46	1,071	4.3%
Brewer Community School	40	884	4.5%
Hampden Academy	8	781	1%
Brewer High School	20	715	2.8%
Nokomis Regional High School	21	622	3.4%
Ridge View Community School	7	587	1.2%
Hermon High School	13	555	2.3%
Nokomis Regional Middle School	16	541	3%
Old Town High School	12	520	2.3%
Central Community Elementary School	8	502	1.6%
Patricia A. Duran School	2	477	0.4%
John Bapst Memorial High School	15	422	3.6%
Old Town Elementary School	16	419	3.8%
Glenburn Elementary School	13	387	3.4%
Orono High School	2	373	0.5%
Center Drive School	7	366	1.9%
William S. Cohen School	16	364	4.4%
James F. Doughty School	19	363	5.2%
Reeds Brook Middle School	3	338	0.9%
Fruit Street School	20	333	6%
Sebasticook Valley Elementary School	16	330	4.8%
Hermon Middle School	9	321	2.8%
Mattanawcook Junior High School	3	318	0.9%
Ella P. Burr School	2	308	0.6%
Downeast School	23	307	7.5%
Asa C. Adams School	19	306	6.2%
Central High School	2	304	0.7%
Leonard Middle School	10	302	3.3%
Earl C. McGraw School	4	291	1.4%
George B. Weatherbee School	4	288	1.4%
Mattanawcook Academy	7	285	2.5%
Dr. Lewis S. Libby School	5	279	1.8%
Dexter Regional High School	3	253	1.2%
Fairmount School	16	241	6.6%
Central Middle School	3	232	1.3%
Mary Snow School	14	231	6.1%
Granite Street School	2	217	0.9%
Enfield Station Elementary School	2	216	0.9%
Suzanne M. Smith Elementary School	2	214	0.9%
Stearns Junior-Senior High School	0	212	--
Caravel Middle School	4	198	2%
Vine Street School	8	191	4.2%
Holbrook School	3	189	1.6%
Etna-Dixmont School	4	188	2.1%
Carmel Elementary School	3	166	1.8%
Veazie Community School	10	165	6.1%
Abraham Lincoln School	12	164	7.3%
Fourteenth Street School	8	160	5%
Katahdin Elementary School	2	147	1.4%
Orono Middle School	5	146	3.4%
Opal Myrick Elementary School	4	145	2.8%
Helen S. Dunn Elementary School	2	144	1.4%
Katahdin Middle/High School	1	144	0.7%
Eddington School	5	135	3.7%
Holden School	1	126	0.8%
Penobscot Valley High School	0	125	--
Indian Township School	0	124	--
Lee Academy	0	112	--
Medway Middle School	5	110	4.5%
Lee/Winn School	1	94	1.1%
Schenck High School	1	93	1.1%
Hichborn Middle School	1	88	1.1%
Indian Island School	0	83	--
Alton Elementary School	0	81	--
Mt. Jefferson Junior High School	1	75	1.3%
Viola Rand School	2	72	2.8%
Newburgh Elementary School	0	49	--
Kingman Elementary School	0	14	--