Maine Highlands News

Piscataquis County schools welcomed 2,228 students in the 2023-24 school year, 2.2% less than the previous year, according to the Maine Department of Education.

Piscataquis County had the least enrollment numbers in the state.

According to the data, 50.6% of the students enrolled in the 2023-24 school year were boys, and 49.4% were girls.

Most of the students enrolled in the 2023-24 school year were white, representing 93.6% of the Piscataquis County student body.

Within the county, Foxcroft Academy had the highest enrollment in the school year, welcoming 351 students.

While Maine's public school enrollment has slightly rebounded from the sharp drop during the 2020-21 school year, it remains about 4% below pre-pandemic levels. The decline is partly due to an increase in homeschooling and more students completing high school early through college courses and adult education.

"Adult education enrollment is up, providing high school completion and job training programs to meet individual needs," said a spokesman for the Maine Department of Education in an interview with Maine Public. Additionally, some 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."

As of 2024, the average student-to-teacher ratio in public schools in Maine is 11:1, much lower than the national average of one teacher for every 15 students.

School Name	Total Enrollment in 2022-23	Total Enrollment in 2023-24	% Change
Brownville Elementary School	89	92	3.4%
Greenville Consolidated School	183	179	-2.2%
Milo Elementary School	154	150	-2.6%
Penquis Valley Middle/High School	357	336	-5.9%
Piscataquis Community Elementary School	266	263	-1.1%
Piscataquis Community Secondary School	228	216	-5.3%
Se Do Mo Cha Elementary School	366	341	-6.8%
Se Do Mo Cha Middle School	291	300	3.1%
Foxcroft Academy	343	351	2.3%