Maine Lakes News

There were 262 Hispanic students enrolled in Oxford County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 20.2% more than the previous year, according to the Maine Department of Education.

Data showed that Hispanic students made up 3.1% of the 8,527 students in Oxford County schools at the time. They were the second most represented ethnicity.

Among the 31 schools in the county, Fryeburg Academy recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 47 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	Hispanic Students Enrollment	Total Enrollment	% of Total Enrollment
Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School	15	1,017	1.5%
Fryeburg Academy	47	607	7.7%
Molly Ockett School	23	555	4.1%
Oxford Hills Middle School	21	472	4.4%
Guy E. Rowe School	8	400	2%
Paris Elementary School	17	392	4.3%
Mountain Valley High School	12	364	3.3%
Mountain Valley Middle School	20	352	5.7%
Sacopee Valley Elementary School	4	351	1.1%
Dirigo Elementary School	8	349	2.3%
Oxford Elementary School	2	337	0.6%
Sacopee Valley Middle School	7	334	2.1%
Hartford-Sumner Elementary School	4	290	1.4%
Crescent Park School	3	279	1.1%
Sacopee Valley High School	6	275	2.2%
Rumford Elementary School	17	247	6.9%
Meroby Elementary School	9	244	3.7%
Dirigo High School	9	222	4.1%
Buckfield Junior-Senior High School	1	221	0.5%
T. W. Kelly Dirigo Middle School	4	171	2.3%
Telstar Middle School	4	168	2.4%
Telstar High School	5	166	3%
Agnes Gray School	3	126	2.4%
Otisfield Community School	3	119	2.5%
Hebron Station School	1	98	1%
New Suncook School	2	98	2%
Waterford Memorial School	6	94	6.4%
Denmark Elementary School	1	77	1.3%
Woodstock School	0	58	--
Andover Elementary School	0	30	--
The Eddy Middle School	0	14	--