Kennebec County schools welcomed 15,893 students in the 2023-24 school year, 1.3% less than the previous year, according to the Maine Department of Education.
Kennebec County had the fourth most enrollment numbers in the state.
According to the data, 50.7% of the students enrolled in the 2023-24 school year were boys, and 49.2% were girls, and less than 0.1% did not specify their gender or identify with either category.
Most of the students enrolled in the 2023-24 school year were white, representing 90.6% of the Kennebec County student body.
Within the county, Messalonskee High School had the highest enrollment in the school year, welcoming 687 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albert S. Hall School | 218 | 232 | 6.4% |
| Albion Elementary School | 102 | 111 | 8.8% |
| Belgrade Central School | 232 | 247 | 6.5% |
| Benton Elementary School | 542 | 518 | -4.4% |
| Carrie Ricker School | 181 | 159 | -12.2% |
| Chelsea Elementary School | 274 | 266 | -2.9% |
| China Middle School | 192 | 177 | -7.8% |
| China Primary School | 245 | 258 | 5.3% |
| Clinton Elementary School | 247 | 236 | -4.5% |
| Cony | 661 | 636 | -3.8% |
| Cony Middle School | 321 | 313 | -2.5% |
| Farrington School | 309 | 305 | -1.3% |
| Fayette Central School | 63 | 78 | 23.8% |
| Gardiner Area High School | 604 | 571 | -5.5% |
| Gardiner Regional Middle School | 449 | 439 | -2.2% |
| George J. Mitchell School | 562 | 556 | -1.1% |
| Hall-Dale Elementary School | 268 | 296 | 10.4% |
| Hall-Dale Middle and High School | 511 | 469 | -8.2% |
| Helen Thompson School | 244 | 256 | 4.9% |
| James H. Bean School | 283 | 295 | 4.2% |
| Laura E. Richards School | 242 | 229 | -5.4% |
| Libby-Tozier School | 140 | 140 | 0% |
| Lillian Parks Hussey School | 262 | 244 | -6.9% |
| Lincoln School | 293 | 300 | 2.4% |
| Maine Arts Academy School | 206 | 220 | 6.8% |
| Maine Virtual Academy | 390 | 410 | 5.1% |
| Manchester Elementary School | 182 | 162 | -11% |
| Maranacook Community High School | 347 | 361 | 4% |
| Maranacook Community Middle School | 306 | 298 | -2.6% |
| Messalonskee High School | 709 | 687 | -3.1% |
| Messalonskee Middle School | 445 | 463 | 4% |
| Monmouth Academy | 186 | 186 | 0% |
| Monmouth Memorial School | 388 | 381 | -1.8% |
| Mt. Vernon Elementary School | 84 | 80 | -4.8% |
| Pittston-Randolph Consolidated School | 190 | 205 | 7.9% |
| Ralph M. Atwood Primary School | 237 | 218 | -8% |
| Readfield Elementary School | 216 | 210 | -2.8% |
| River View Community School | 176 | 181 | 2.8% |
| Sylvio J. Gilbert School | 344 | 315 | -8.4% |
| Vassalboro Community School | 402 | 411 | 2.2% |
| Waterville Junior High School | 336 | 330 | -1.8% |
| Waterville Senior High School | 491 | 474 | -3.5% |
| Wayne Elementary School | 63 | 61 | -3.2% |
| Williams Elementary School | 227 | 211 | -7% |
| Windsor Elementary School | 281 | 280 | -0.4% |
| Winslow Elementary School | 540 | 543 | 0.6% |
| Winslow High School | 366 | 361 | -1.4% |
| Winslow Junior High School | 173 | 177 | 2.3% |
| Winthrop Grade School | 383 | 388 | 1.3% |
| Winthrop High School | 212 | 222 | 4.7% |
| Winthrop Middle School | 225 | 195 | -13.3% |
| Erskine Academy | 558 | 532 | -4.7% |