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 1.3% of the 6,351 students in Hancock County schools at the time. They were the fourth most represented ethnicity.
Among the 36 schools in the county, Ellsworth Elementary-Middle School recorded the highest enrollment of Black or African American students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ellsworth Elementary-Middle School | 20 | 752 | 2.7% |
| Ellsworth High School | 6 | 524 | 1.1% |
| Mt. Desert Island High School | 15 | 493 | 3% |
| Bucksport High School | 2 | 344 | 0.6% |
| Conners-Emerson School | 14 | 333 | 4.2% |
| Miles Lane School | 2 | 300 | 0.7% |
| Bucksport Middle School | 1 | 277 | 0.4% |
| George Stevens Academy | 4 | 270 | 1.5% |
| Sumner Memorial High School | 0 | 262 | -- |
| Blue Hill Consolidated School | 2 | 259 | 0.8% |
| Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School | 1 | 204 | 0.5% |
| Hancock Grammar School | 3 | 180 | 1.7% |
| Sumner Middle School | 0 | 167 | -- |
| Mt. Desert Elementary School | 1 | 151 | 0.7% |
| Dedham School | 3 | 147 | 2% |
| Trenton Elementary School | 2 | 143 | 1.4% |
| Mountain View School | 0 | 141 | -- |
| Surry Elementary School | 0 | 139 | -- |
| Pemetic Elementary School | 0 | 132 | -- |
| G. Herbert Jewett School | 1 | 131 | 0.8% |
| Lamoine Consolidated School | 1 | 125 | 0.8% |
| Tremont Consolidated School | 0 | 120 | -- |
| Deer Isle-Stonington High School | 0 | 110 | -- |
| Beech Hill School | 0 | 91 | -- |
| Peninsula School | 1 | 83 | 1.2% |
| Sedgwick Elementary School | 2 | 74 | 2.7% |
| Penobscot Elementary School | 1 | 70 | 1.4% |
| Cave Hill School | 0 | 61 | -- |
| Brooklin School | 2 | 56 | 3.6% |
| Adams School | 0 | 49 | -- |
| Brooksville Elementary School | 1 | 46 | 2.2% |
| Airline Community School | 0 | 39 | -- |
| Blue Hill Harbor School | 0 | 38 | -- |
| Swans Island Elementary School | 0 | 28 | -- |
| Cranberry Isles School | 0 | 7 | -- |
| Frenchboro Elementary School | 0 | 5 | -- |
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY
!RECEIVE ALERTS
DONATE
Alerts Sign-up