Aroostook News

There were 7,503 white students enrolled in Aroostook County ditricts in the 2022-23 school year, 0.8% less than the previous year, according to the Maine Department of Education.

Data showed that white students made up 88.8% of the 8,450 students in Aroostook County ditricts during the 2022-23 school year. They were the most represented ethnicity.

Among the 27 districts in Aroostook County, Regional School Unit 79/Maine School Administrative District 01 recorded the highest enrollment of white students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 1,472 students.

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

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 Name	White Students Enrollment	Total Enrollment	% of Total Enrollment
Regional School Unit 79/Maine School Administrative District 01	1,472	1,696	86.8%
Regional School Unit 29/Maine School Administrative District 29	1,012	1,216	83.2%
Regional School Unit 39	901	1,045	86.2%
Maine School Administrative District 27	638	683	93.4%
Regional School Unit 86/Maine School Administrative District 20	441	476	92.6%
Regional School Unit 70/Maine School Administrative District 70	405	459	88.2%
Madawaska Public Schools	318	359	88.6%
Regional School Unit 50	316	336	94%
Regional School Unit 42/Maine School Administrative District 42	273	290	94.1%
Regional School Unit 45/Maine School Administrative District 45	256	278	92.1%
Regional School Unit 88/Maine School Administrative District 24	231	253	91.3%
Regional School Unit 33/Maine School Administrative District 33	206	212	97.2%
Limestone Public Schools	166	194	85.6%
Regional School Unit 32/Maine School Administrative District 32	178	188	94.7%
Woodland Public Schools	160	172	93%
Easton Public Schools	162	170	95.3%
Maine School of Science and Mathematics	76	99	76.8%
Eagle Lake Public Schools	60	68	88.2%
New Sweden Public Schools	49	58	84.5%
Caswell Public Schools	45	50	90%
Bridgewater Public Schools	41	45	91.1%
Portage Lake Public Schools	35	38	92.1%
Grand Isle Public Schools	28	28	100%
Winterville Plantation Public Schools	25	25	100%
Vanceboro Public Schools	4	7	57.1%
Nashville Plantation Public Schools	4	4	100%
Westmanland Public Schools	1	1	100%