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 0.9% of the 4,180 students in Franklin County schools at the time. They were the fourth most represented ethnicity.
Among the 16 schools in the county, Mt. Blue High School and Spruce Mountain Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Black or African American students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of eight students each.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mt. Blue High School | 8 | 694 | 1.2% |
| Mt. Blue Middle School | 1 | 492 | 0.2% |
| Spruce Mountain High School | 4 | 391 | 1% |
| Spruce Mountain Middle School | 5 | 364 | 1.4% |
| W. G. Mallett School | 3 | 337 | 0.9% |
| Spruce Mountain Elementary School | 8 | 296 | 2.7% |
| Cascade Brook School | 1 | 276 | 0.4% |
| Mt. Abram Regional High School | 0 | 207 | -- |
| Rangeley Lakes Regional School | 2 | 185 | 1.1% |
| Cape Cod Hill Elementary School | 3 | 173 | 1.7% |
| Academy Hill School | 0 | 166 | -- |
| Day Mountain Regional Middle School | 0 | 152 | -- |
| Phillips Elementary School | 0 | 129 | -- |
| Gerald D. Cushing School | 2 | 119 | 1.7% |
| Stratton Elementary School | 0 | 105 | -- |
| Kingfield Elementary School | 0 | 94 | -- |
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