River Valley Today

There were 139 Hispanic students enrolled in Somerset County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 10.3% more than the previous year, according to the Maine Department of Education.

Data showed that Hispanic students made up 2.2% of the 6,400 students in Somerset County schools at the time. They were the third most represented ethnicity.

Among the 31 schools in the county, Skowhegan Area High School recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 24 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	Hispanic Students Enrollment	Total Enrollment	% of Total Enrollment
Skowhegan Area High School	24	703	3.4%
Lawrence High School	14	558	2.5%
Skowhegan Area Middle School	8	402	2%
Mill Stream Elementary School	6	348	1.7%
Lawrence Junior High School	6	291	2.1%
Bloomfield Elementary School	7	273	2.6%
Warsaw Middle School	10	262	3.8%
Somerset Elementary School	2	247	0.8%
Maine Central Institute	4	240	1.7%
Madison Elementary School	2	236	0.8%
Carrabec Community School	7	230	3%
Vickery School	3	228	1.3%
Canaan Elementary School	1	184	0.5%
Margaret Chase Smith School - Skowhegan	3	175	1.7%
Madison Area Memorial High School	1	174	0.6%
Overman Academy	1	171	0.6%
Carrabec High School	3	168	1.8%
Forest Hills Consolidated School	4	157	2.5%
Madison Junior High School	1	154	0.6%
Maine Academy of Natural Sciences	4	153	2.6%
North Elementary School	2	141	1.4%
Dimensions Academy	7	138	5.1%
Upper Kennebec Valley Middle/Senior High School	4	121	3.3%
Athens Community School	0	117	--
Fairfield Primary School	3	109	2.8%
Manson Park School	3	95	3.2%
Garret Schenck School	3	93	3.2%
Solon Elementary School	0	77	--
Moscow Elementary School	2	62	3.2%
Harmony Elementary School	1	60	1.7%
Creative Childrens Academy	3	33	9.1%