Somerset County districts’ student body comprised mostly of white students in 2023-24 school year

ME Commissioner of Education Pender Makin 2023 - Maine Department of Education
ME Commissioner of Education Pender Makin 2023 - Maine Department of Education
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The majority of students in Somerset County districts were white in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Maine Department of Education.

Of the 6,826 students attending schools in the county, 93.6% were white. Multiracial students were the second most represented ethnic group, making up 2.7% of the total enrollment.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Somerset County, representing 93.6% of the student body.

Regional School Unit 49/Maine School Administrative District 49 and Regional School Unit 54/Maine School Administrative District 54 had the most diverse student populations in Somerset County, which included white, Hispanic or Latino, multiracial, Asian, Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.

In the 2023-24 school year, public school enrollment in the county dropped by 2.1% when compared to the previous year.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Somerset County.

As of 2025, the average student-to-teacher ratio in public schools in Maine is 11:1, much lower than the national average of one teacher for every 15 students. A lower student-to-teacher ratio has been found to improve students’ school performance.

Public school enrollment in Maine fell to its lowest level in a decade in the 2024-25 school year, dropping below even the sharp decline seen after the COVID-19 pandemic. The state reported approximately 171,000 students enrolled that year.

Ethnicities in Somerset County in 2023-24 School Year

Students’ Most Prevalent Ethnicity in Somerset County Districts in 2023-24 School Year
District Most Prevalent Ethnicity No. of Students Percent of Total Student Body Total Students
Pleasant Ridge Plantation School Department White 6 100% 6
Highland Plantation Public Schools White 3 100% 3
Caratunk Public Schools White 6 100% 6
Brighton Plantation School Department White 6 100% 6
Athens Public Schools White 148 98.7% 150
Community Regional Charter School White 323 95.3% 339
Maine Academy of Natural Sciences White 168 94.4% 178
Regional School Unit 74/Maine School Administrative District 74 White 519 94.2% 551
Regional School Unit 82/Maine School Administrative District 12 White 109 94% 116
Regional School Unit 54/Maine School Administrative District 54 White 2,051 93.8% 2,186
Regional School Unit 59/Maine School Administrative District 59 White 503 93.7% 537
Regional School Unit 53/Maine School Administrative District 53 White 767 93.3% 822
Regional School Unit 49/Maine School Administrative District 49 White 1,636 92.5% 1,769
Regional School Unit 83/Maine School Administrative District 13 White 137 90.7% 151
West Forks Plantation Public Schools White 5 83.3% 6


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