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 |
