River Valley Today

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

Of the 6,972 students attending schools in the county, 93.6% were white. Hispanic or Latino students were the second most represented ethnic group, making up 2.4% of the total enrollment.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Somerset County, representing 93.9% of the student body.

Regional School Unit 54/Maine School Administrative District 54 and Regional School Unit 49/Maine School Administrative District 49 had the most diverse student body in Somerset County, which included white (93.8%), multiracial (2.3%), Hispanic or Latino (2.3%), Asian (0.7%), African American (0.5%), American Indian or Alaskan Native (0.3%), and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (0.1%).

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public districts in the county increased by 0.4% 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."

District	Most Prevalent Ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Students
Pleasant Ridge Plantation School Department	White	99.9%	3
Brighton Plantation School Department	White	99.9%	5
Caratunk Public Schools	White	99.9%	3
Highland Plantation Public Schools	White	99.9%	3
The Forks Plantation School Department	White	99.9%	1
Athens Public Schools	White	97.4%	154
Regional School Unit 59/Maine School Administrative District 59	White	96.4%	561
Regional School Unit 74/Maine School Administrative District 74	White	95%	560
Regional School Unit 54/Maine School Administrative District 54	White	93.8%	2,210
Community Regional Charter School	White	93.6%	342
Maine Academy of Natural Sciences	White	93.5%	154
Regional School Unit 49/Maine School Administrative District 49	White	93.1%	1,855
Regional School Unit 82/Maine School Administrative District 12	White	92.3%	129
Regional School Unit 53/Maine School Administrative District 53	White	91.4%	816
Regional School Unit 83/Maine School Administrative District 13	White	90.1%	171
West Forks Plantation Public Schools	White	80%	5