ME Commissioner of Education Pender Makin 2023 | Maine Department of Education
ME Commissioner of Education Pender Makin 2023 | Maine Department of Education
Of the 8,585 students attending Aroostook County schools, 88.9% were white.
American Indian or Alaskan Native students were the second largest ethnic group among Aroostook County students (4.1%).
In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Aroostook County, representing 89.7% of the student body.
Houlton Junior High School had the evenest distribution of races among county schools, with 81% white, 10.9% American Indian or Alaskan Native, 4.4% multiracial, 1.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1% African American, 0.7% Asian, and 0.3% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.
In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public schools in the county increased by 0.5% 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."
| School | Most Prevalent Ethnicity | Percent of Total Student Body | Total Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easton Junior-Senior High School | White | 97.8% | 92 |
| Dr. Levesque Elementary School | White | 97.1% | 140 |
| Central Aroostook Junior-Senior High School | White | 96.3% | 163 |
| Valley Rivers Middle School | White | 96.1% | 102 |
| Wisdom Middle High School | White | 96% | 100 |
| Fort Kent Community High School | White | 95.4% | 240 |
| Ashland District School | White | 94.4% | 232 |
| So Aroostook School | White | 94.3% | 331 |
| Connor Consolidated School | White | 93.8% | 32 |
| Woodland Consolidated School | White | 93.8% | 162 |
| Easton Elementary School | White | 93.1% | 116 |
| Fort Fairfield Middle/High School | White | 92.9% | 253 |
| Washburn District High School | White | 92.8% | 83 |
| Fort Fairfield Elementary School | White | 92.7% | 220 |
| Dawn F. Barnes Elementary School | White | 92.5% | 40 |
| Mapleton Elementary School | White | 92.5% | 226 |
| Washburn District Elementary School | White | 92.3% | 182 |
| Fort Kent Elementary School | White | 91.7% | 460 |
| Van Buren Elementary School | White | 91.6% | 203 |
| Van Buren District Secondary School | White | 90.9% | 55 |
| Fort Street School | White | 90.2% | 173 |
| Madawaska Elementary School | White | 89.4% | 217 |
| Madawaska Middle/High School | White | 89.4% | 170 |
| Hodgdon Middle/High School | White | 89.1% | 201 |
| Mill Pond School | White | 88.2% | 304 |
| Caribou High School | White | 88.1% | 435 |
| Presque Isle High School | White | 87.6% | 460 |
| Presque Isle Middle School | White | 86.3% | 349 |
| Houlton Elementary School | White | 85.2% | 283 |
| Caribou Community School | White | 84.9% | 763 |
| Eva Hoyt Zippel School | White | 84.9% | 259 |
| Pine Street Elementary School | White | 84.3% | 383 |
| Houlton High School | White | 84.2% | 330 |
| Houlton Southside School | White | 83.1% | 302 |
| Limestone Community School | White | 83.1% | 130 |
| Houlton Junior High School | White | 81% | 295 |
| Maine School of Science & Mathematics | White | 76.8% | 99 |
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