River Valley Today

There were 6,525 white students enrolled in Somerset County ditricts in the 2022-23 school year, 0.2% more than the previous year, according to the Maine Department of Education.

Data showed that white students made up 93.6% of the 6,972 students in Somerset County ditricts during the 2022-23 school year. They were the most represented ethnicity.

Among the 16 districts in Somerset County, Regional School Unit 54/Maine School Administrative District 54 recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 2,073 students.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Somerset County.

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 Name	White Students Enrollment	Total Enrollment	% of Total Enrollment
Regional School Unit 54/Maine School Administrative District 54	2,073	2,210	93.8%
Regional School Unit 49/Maine School Administrative District 49	1,727	1,855	93.1%
Regional School Unit 53/Maine School Administrative District 53	746	816	91.4%
Regional School Unit 59/Maine School Administrative District 59	541	561	96.4%
Regional School Unit 74/Maine School Administrative District 74	532	560	95%
Community Regional Charter School	320	342	93.6%
Regional School Unit 83/Maine School Administrative District 13	154	171	90.1%
Athens Public Schools	150	154	97.4%
Maine Academy of Natural Sciences	144	154	93.5%
Regional School Unit 82/Maine School Administrative District 12	119	129	92.2%
Brighton Plantation School Department	5	5	100%
West Forks Plantation Public Schools	4	5	80%
Caratunk Public Schools	3	3	100%
Highland Plantation Public Schools	3	3	100%
Pleasant Ridge Plantation School Department	3	3	100%
The Forks Plantation School Department	1	1	100%