ME Commissioner of Education Pender Makin 2023 | Maine Department of Education
ME Commissioner of Education Pender Makin 2023 | Maine Department of Education
Data showed that Black or African American students made up 0.6% of the 6,400 students in Somerset County schools at the time. They were the fourth most represented ethnicity.
Among the 31 schools in the county, Lawrence High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black or African American students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of six 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."
| School Name | Black or African American Students Enrollment | Total Enrollment | % of Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skowhegan Area High School | 3 | 703 | 0.4% |
| Lawrence High School | 6 | 558 | 1.1% |
| Skowhegan Area Middle School | 2 | 402 | 0.5% |
| Mill Stream Elementary School | 2 | 348 | 0.6% |
| Lawrence Junior High School | 1 | 291 | 0.3% |
| Bloomfield Elementary School | 2 | 273 | 0.7% |
| Warsaw Middle School | 0 | 262 | -- |
| Somerset Elementary School | 0 | 247 | -- |
| Maine Central Institute | 5 | 240 | 2.1% |
| Madison Elementary School | 5 | 236 | 2.1% |
| Carrabec Community School | 0 | 230 | -- |
| Vickery School | 2 | 228 | 0.9% |
| Canaan Elementary School | 0 | 184 | -- |
| Margaret Chase Smith School - Skowhegan | 2 | 175 | 1.1% |
| Madison Area Memorial High School | 2 | 174 | 1.1% |
| Overman Academy | 0 | 171 | -- |
| Carrabec High School | 0 | 168 | -- |
| Forest Hills Consolidated School | 2 | 157 | 1.3% |
| Madison Junior High School | 0 | 154 | -- |
| Maine Academy of Natural Sciences | 0 | 153 | -- |
| North Elementary School | 1 | 141 | 0.7% |
| Dimensions Academy | 2 | 138 | 1.4% |
| Upper Kennebec Valley Middle/Senior High School | 0 | 121 | -- |
| Athens Community School | 0 | 117 | -- |
| Fairfield Primary School | 0 | 109 | -- |
| Manson Park School | 0 | 95 | -- |
| Garret Schenck School | 0 | 93 | -- |
| Solon Elementary School | 0 | 77 | -- |
| Moscow Elementary School | 0 | 62 | -- |
| Harmony Elementary School | 0 | 60 | -- |
| Creative Childrens Academy | 0 | 33 | -- |
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