River Valley Today

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

Of the 16,108 students attending Kennebec County schools, 91.1% were white.

Hispanic or Latino students were the second largest ethnic group among Kennebec County students (3.1%).

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Kennebec County, representing 91.6% of the student body.

Albert S. Hall School had the evenest distribution of races among county schools, with 81.2% white, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 6.4% multiracial, 2.8% African American, 1.8% Asian, 0.9% American Indian or Alaskan Native, and 0.5% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county remained the same 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."

School	Most Prevalent Ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Students
Albion Elementary School	White	98%	102
Maranacook Community Middle School	White	97.1%	306
Chelsea Elementary School	White	96.7%	274
Laura E. Richards School	White	95.9%	242
Helen Thompson School	White	95.5%	244
Pittston-Randolph Consolidated School	White	95.3%	190
James H. Bean School	White	95.1%	283
Readfield Elementary School	White	94.4%	216
Libby-Tozier School	White	94.3%	140
Williams Elementary School	White	94.3%	227
Maranacook Community High School	White	94.2%	347
Winslow Junior High School	White	94.2%	173
Mt. Vernon Elementary School	White	94.1%	84
Gardiner Area High School	White	94%	604
Winthrop Grade School	White	94%	383
Fayette Central School	White	93.7%	63
Messalonskee Middle School	White	93.7%	445
Wayne Elementary School	White	93.7%	63
Carrie Ricker School	White	93.4%	181
Manchester Elementary School	White	93.4%	182
Vassalboro Community School	White	93%	402
Hall-Dale Middle and High School	White	92.8%	511
Belgrade Central School	White	92.7%	232
Gardiner Regional Middle School	White	92.7%	449
Cony	White	92.6%	661
Lincoln School	White	92.5%	293
Windsor Elementary School	White	92.5%	281
Benton Elementary School	White	92.3%	542
Messalonskee High School	White	92.1%	709
Winthrop High School	White	92%	212
Winthrop Middle School	White	92%	225
Monmouth Academy	White	91.9%	186
Erskine Academy	White	91.9%	558
Monmouth Memorial School	White	91.8%	388
China Middle School	White	91.7%	192
China Primary School	White	91.4%	245
Ralph M. Atwood Primary School	White	91.1%	237
River View Community School	White	90.9%	176
Winslow High School	White	89.9%	366
Cony Middle School	White	89.4%	321
Maine Arts Academy School	White	89.3%	206
Farrington School	White	89%	309
Winslow Elementary School	White	88.5%	540
Clinton Elementary School	White	87%	247
Hall-Dale Elementary School	White	86.2%	268
Maine Virtual Academy	White	85.6%	390
Sylvio J. Gilbert School	White	85.5%	344
Waterville Junior High School	White	85.1%	336
Waterville Senior High School	White	83.9%	491
Lillian Parks Hussey School	White	83.2%	262
George J. Mitchell School	White	82.7%	562
Albert S. Hall School	White	81.2%	218