The majority of students in Hancock County districts were white in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Maine Department of Education.
Of the 6,292 students attending schools in the county, 90.6% were white. Multiracial students were the second most represented ethnic group, making up 3.4% of the total enrollment.
In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Hancock County, representing 91.2% of the student body.
Bar Harbor Public Schools had the evenest distribution of races among county districts, with 81.9% white, 6% multiracial, 4.2% African American, 3.9% Asian, 2.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and 0.6% American Indian or Alaskan Native.
In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public districts in the county increased by 0.2% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isle Au Haut Public Schools | White | 99.9% | 2 |
| Frenchboro Public Schools | White | 99.9% | 5 |
| Surry Public Schools | White | 98.5% | 196 |
| Tremont Public Schools | White | 98.4% | 127 |
| Deer Isle-Stonington Community School District | White | 96.5% | 311 |
| Brooksville Public Schools | White | 96.3% | 82 |
| Castine Public Schools | White | 96.1% | 77 |
| Otis Public Schools | White | 94.6% | 92 |
| Penobscot Public Schools | White | 94.4% | 107 |
| Sedgwick Public Schools | White | 93.6% | 124 |
| Blue Hill Public Schools | White | 92.1% | 403 |
| Brooklin Public Schools | White | 92% | 75 |
| Lamoine Public Schools | White | 91.9% | 172 |
| Hancock Public Schools | White | 91.2% | 296 |
| Regional School Unit 25 | White | 91.1% | 1,047 |
| Trenton Public Schools | White | 90.6% | 213 |
| Regional School Unit 24 | White | 90.4% | 857 |
| Southwest Harbor Public Schools | White | 88.8% | 125 |
| Mount Desert Community School District | White | 88.5% | 365 |
| Ellsworth Public Schools | White | 87.7% | 1,078 |
| Mount Desert Public Schools | White | 86.8% | 151 |
| Cranberry Isles Public Schools | White | 86.7% | 15 |
| Maine School Administrative District 76 | White | 85.4% | 41 |
| Bar Harbor Public Schools | White | 81.9% | 331 |