Maine Highlands News

The majority of students in Penobscot County districts were white in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Maine Department of Education.

Of the 20,678 students attending schools in the county, 90.2% were white. Multiracial students were the second most represented ethnic group, making up 3.9% of the total enrollment.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Penobscot County, representing 90.3% of the student body.

Bangor Public Schools had the evenest distribution of races among county districts, with 80.1% white, 7.7% multiracial, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 3.1% African American, 2.6% Asian, 1.2% American Indian or Alaskan Native, and 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public districts in the county increased by 0.2% 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."

District	Most Prevalent Ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Students
Moro Plantation Public Schools	White	99.9%	1
MacWahoc Plantation School Department	White	99.9%	3
Carroll Plantation Public Schools	White	99.9%	13
Lakeville Public Schools	White	99.9%	4
Drew Plantation Public Schools	White	99.9%	3
Reed Plantation Public Schools	White	99.9%	8
Woodville Public Schools	White	99.9%	32
Seboeis Plantation Public Schools	White	99.9%	3
Medway Public Schools	White	97.9%	142
Lowell Public Schools	White	97.2%	36
Regional School Unit 67	White	96%	830
Maine School Administrative District 46	White	95.6%	831
Regional School Unit 89	White	95.4%	263
Airline Community School District	White	94.7%	57
Greenbush Public Schools	White	94.6%	221
Regional School Unit 87/Maine School Administrative District 23	White	94.6%	818
Regional School Unit 31/Maine School Administrative District 31	White	94.6%	367
Dedham Public Schools	White	94.4%	251
Regional School Unit 30/Maine School Administrative District 30	White	94.3%	209
Regional School Unit 41/Maine School Administrative District 41	White	94.1%	528
Regional School Unit 64/Maine School Administrative District 64	White	93.9%	1,048
Millinocket Public Schools	White	93.7%	414
Orrington Public Schools	White	93.4%	579
Burlington Public Schools	White	92.6%	54
Regional School Unit 19	White	92.6%	1,932
Harmony Public Schools	White	92.5%	80
Regional School Unit 22	White	92.5%	2,161
Glenburn Public Schools	White	92.3%	600
Regional School Unit 63/Maine School Administrative District 63	White	92.2%	707
Hermon Public Schools	White	92%	1,099
East Millinocket Public Schools	White	91.5%	199
Milford Public Schools	White	89.7%	377
Regional School Unit 34	White	88.4%	1,263
Regional School Unit 26	White	87.3%	647
Veazie Public Schools	White	85.8%	246
Brewer Public Schools	White	85.7%	1,296
Bangor Public Schools	White	80.1%	3,356