Maine Highlands News

There were 775 multiracial students enrolled in Penobscot County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 10.9% more than the previous year, according to the Maine Department of Education.

Data showed that multiracial students made up 4% of the 19,603 students in Penobscot County schools at the time. They were the second most represented ethnicity.

Among the 68 schools in the county, Bangor High School recorded the highest enrollment of multiracial students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 64 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	Multiracial Students Enrollment	Total Enrollment	% of Total Enrollment
Bangor High School	64	1,071	6%
Brewer Community School	58	884	6.6%
Hampden Academy	17	781	2.2%
Brewer High School	21	715	2.9%
Nokomis Regional High School	30	622	4.8%
Ridge View Community School	0	587	--
Hermon High School	8	555	1.4%
Nokomis Regional Middle School	9	541	1.7%
Old Town High School	23	520	4.4%
Central Community Elementary School	23	502	4.6%
Patricia A. Duran School	22	477	4.6%
John Bapst Memorial High School	10	422	2.4%
Old Town Elementary School	27	419	6.4%
Glenburn Elementary School	11	387	2.8%
Orono High School	11	373	2.9%
Center Drive School	1	366	0.3%
William S. Cohen School	18	364	4.9%
James F. Doughty School	36	363	9.9%
Reeds Brook Middle School	16	338	4.7%
Fruit Street School	21	333	6.3%
Sebasticook Valley Elementary School	8	330	2.4%
Hermon Middle School	11	321	3.4%
Mattanawcook Junior High School	4	318	1.3%
Ella P. Burr School	4	308	1.3%
Downeast School	37	307	12.1%
Asa C. Adams School	9	306	2.9%
Central High School	5	304	1.6%
Leonard Middle School	13	302	4.3%
Earl C. McGraw School	15	291	5.2%
George B. Weatherbee School	22	288	7.6%
Mattanawcook Academy	2	285	0.7%
Dr. Lewis S. Libby School	2	279	0.7%
Dexter Regional High School	1	253	0.4%
Fairmount School	17	241	7.1%
Central Middle School	16	232	6.9%
Mary Snow School	17	231	7.4%
Granite Street School	4	217	1.8%
Enfield Station Elementary School	5	216	2.3%
Suzanne M. Smith Elementary School	12	214	5.6%
Stearns Junior-Senior High School	1	212	0.5%
Caravel Middle School	7	198	3.5%
Vine Street School	25	191	13.1%
Holbrook School	5	189	2.6%
Etna-Dixmont School	5	188	2.7%
Carmel Elementary School	7	166	4.2%
Veazie Community School	6	165	3.6%
Abraham Lincoln School	13	164	7.9%
Fourteenth Street School	12	160	7.5%
Katahdin Elementary School	4	147	2.7%
Orono Middle School	8	146	5.5%
Opal Myrick Elementary School	4	145	2.8%
Helen S. Dunn Elementary School	1	144	0.7%
Katahdin Middle/High School	2	144	1.4%
Eddington School	9	135	6.7%
Holden School	4	126	3.2%
Penobscot Valley High School	0	125	--
Indian Township School	7	124	5.6%
Lee Academy	0	112	--
Medway Middle School	2	110	1.8%
Lee/Winn School	2	94	2.1%
Schenck High School	2	93	2.2%
Hichborn Middle School	0	88	--
Indian Island School	8	83	9.6%
Alton Elementary School	2	81	2.5%
Mt. Jefferson Junior High School	1	75	1.3%
Viola Rand School	5	72	6.9%
Newburgh Elementary School	3	49	6.1%
Kingman Elementary School	0	14	--