There were 19 Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students enrolled in Penobscot County schools in 2022-23 school year

There were 19 Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students enrolled in Penobscot County schools in the 2022-23 school year, the same number as the previous year, according to the Maine Department of Education.

Data showed that Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students made up 0.1% of the 19,603 students in Penobscot County schools at the time. They were the least represented ethnicity.

Among the 68 schools in the county, Reeds Brook Middle School recorded the highest enrollment of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of three 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.”