Down East Times

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

Of the 4,042 students attending schools in the county, 79.4% were white. American Indian or Alaskan Native students were the second most represented ethnic group, making up 11.6% of the total enrollment.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Washington County, representing 90.3% of the student body.

Calais Public Schools and Regional School Unit 37/Maine School Administrative District 37 had the most diverse student body in Washington County, which included white (92.3%), American Indian or Alaskan Native (3.5%), Hispanic or Latino (1.5%), multiracial (1%), African American (1%), Asian (0.7%), and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (0.2%).

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public districts in the county increased by 14.2% 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
Northfield Public Schools	White	99.9%	22
Meddybemps Public Schools	White	99.9%	4
Deblois Public Schools	White	99.9%	12
Crawford Public Schools	White	99.9%	2
Beddington Public Schools	White	99.9%	4
Dennysville Public Schools	White	99.9%	34
Wesley Public Schools	White	99.9%	13
Whitneyville Public Schools	White	99.9%	29
Talmadge Public Schools	White	99.9%	9
Waite Public Schools	White	99.9%	9
Jonesport Public Schools	White	99%	99
Marshfield Public Schools	White	98.8%	85
Regional School Unit 85/Maine School Administrative District 19	White	96.9%	129
Baring Plantation Public Schools	White	96%	25
East MacHias Public Schools	White	95.6%	250
MacHias Public Schools	White	95.5%	290
Moosabec Community School District	White	95.5%	67
Regional School Unit 84/Maine School Administrative District 14	White	94.6%	111
Orient Public Schools	White	93.8%	16
MacHiasport Public Schools	White	93.8%	80
Charlotte Public Schools	White	93.6%	31
Whiting Public Schools	White	93%	43
Calais Public Schools	White	92.3%	404
Cutler Public Schools	White	92%	87
Cherryfield Public Schools	White	91.8%	146
Alexander Public Schools	White	91.7%	48
Jonesboro Public Schools	White	89.9%	79
Baileyville Public Schools	White	89%	218
Robbinston Public Schools	White	89%	73
Beals Public Schools	White	87.8%	41
East Range Community School District	White	85.7%	14
Cooper Public Schools	White	85%	20
Pleasant Point	American Indian or Alaskan Native	82.8%	192
Pembroke Public Schools	White	81.6%	87
Princeton Public Schools	White	81%	126
Perry Public Schools	White	80.4%	92
Indian Island	American Indian or Alaskan Native	80.2%	116
Regional School Unit 37/Maine School Administrative District 37	White	79.9%	603
Indian Township	American Indian or Alaskan Native	79.7%	182
Roque Bluffs Public Schools	White	76.2%	21
Eastport Public Schools	White	75%	124
Grand Lake Stream Plantation School Department	White	60%	5