River Valley Today

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

Of the 6,400 students attending Somerset County schools, 93.9% were white.

Multiracial students were the second largest ethnic group among Somerset County students (2.4%).

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Somerset County, representing 94.1% of the student body.

Lawrence Junior High School and Skowhegan Area High School had the most diverse student body in Somerset County, which included white, Hispanic or Latino, multiracial, Asian, American Indian or Alaskan Native, African American, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county increased by 0.7% 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
Madison Junior High School	White	99.4%	154
Solon Elementary School	White	98.7%	77
Athens Community School	White	97.4%	117
Madison Area Memorial High School	White	97.1%	174
Overman Academy	White	97.1%	171
Margaret Chase Smith School - Skowhegan	White	96%	175
Garret Schenck School	White	95.7%	93
Carrabec High School	White	95.2%	168
Lawrence High School	White	95.2%	558
North Elementary School	White	95%	141
Lawrence Junior High School	White	94.9%	291
Mill Stream Elementary School	White	94.8%	348
Skowhegan Area Middle School	White	94.8%	402
Somerset Elementary School	White	94.7%	247
Vickery School	White	94.7%	228
Madison Elementary School	White	94.1%	236
Canaan Elementary School	White	94%	184
Carrabec Community School	White	93.5%	230
Maine Academy of Natural Sciences	White	93.5%	153
Harmony Elementary School	White	93.3%	60
Bloomfield Elementary School	White	93%	273
Manson Park School	White	92.6%	95
Forest Hills Consolidated School	White	92.4%	157
Dimensions Academy	White	92%	138
Skowhegan Area High School	White	92%	703
Fairfield Primary School	White	91.7%	109
Upper Kennebec Valley Middle/Senior High School	White	90.9%	121
Moscow Elementary School	White	90.3%	62
Warsaw Middle School	White	89.7%	262
Maine Central Institute	White	89.2%	240
Creative Childrens Academy	White	81.8%	33