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 American Indian or Alaskan Native students made up 6.6% of the 4,061 students in Washington County schools at the time. They were the second most represented ethnicity.
Among the 34 schools in the county, Beatrice Rafferty School recorded the highest enrollment of American Indian or Alaskan Native students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 114 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 | American Indian or Alaskan Native Students Enrollment | Total Enrollment | % of Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Academy | 18 | 336 | 5.4% |
| Rose M. Gaffney School | 0 | 324 | -- |
| Narraguagus High School | 1 | 314 | 0.3% |
| Calais Middle/High School | 41 | 293 | 14% |
| Calais Elementary School | 13 | 261 | 5% |
| Elm Street School-East Machias | 0 | 190 | -- |
| Woodland Junior-Senior High School | 10 | 182 | 5.5% |
| Machias Memorial High School | 0 | 170 | -- |
| East Grand School | 3 | 139 | 2.2% |
| Beatrice Rafferty School | 114 | 138 | 82.6% |
| Milbridge Elementary School | 0 | 127 | -- |
| Harrington Elementary School | 0 | 124 | -- |
| Princeton Elementary School | 12 | 121 | 9.9% |
| Woodland Elementary School | 1 | 114 | 0.9% |
| Cherryfield Elementary School | 0 | 100 | -- |
| Daniel W. Merritt School | 0 | 99 | -- |
| Jonesport Elementary School | 0 | 99 | -- |
| Eastport Elementary School | 9 | 95 | 9.5% |
| Lubec Consolidated School | 0 | 95 | -- |
| Shead High School | 29 | 86 | 33.7% |
| Ella Lewis School | 0 | 78 | -- |
| Perry Elementary School | 2 | 70 | 2.9% |
| Edmunds Consolidated School | 0 | 68 | -- |
| Jonesport-Beals High School | 0 | 68 | -- |
| Pembroke Elementary School | 12 | 68 | 17.6% |
| Bay Ridge Elementary School | 1 | 51 | 2% |
| Jonesboro Elementary School | 0 | 51 | -- |
| Fort O'Brien School | 1 | 48 | 2.1% |
| Beals Elementary School | 1 | 41 | 2.4% |
| Alexander Elementary School | 0 | 35 | -- |
| East Range II CSD School | 2 | 25 | 8% |
| Whiting Village School | 0 | 25 | -- |
| Charlotte Elementary School | 0 | 22 | -- |
| Wesley Elementary School | 0 | 4 | -- |
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