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 1.5% of the 8,585 students in Aroostook County schools at the time. They were the third least represented ethnicity.
Among the 37 schools in the county, Fort Kent Elementary School recorded the highest enrollment of Black or African American students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 18 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 | Black or African American Students Enrollment | Total Enrollment | % of Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caribou Community School | 17 | 763 | 2.2% |
| Fort Kent Elementary School | 18 | 460 | 3.9% |
| Presque Isle High School | 8 | 460 | 1.7% |
| Caribou High School | 7 | 435 | 1.6% |
| Pine Street Elementary School | 4 | 383 | 1% |
| Presque Isle Middle School | 4 | 349 | 1.1% |
| So Aroostook School | 2 | 331 | 0.6% |
| Houlton High School | 0 | 330 | -- |
| Mill Pond School | 3 | 304 | 1% |
| Houlton Southside School | 3 | 302 | 1% |
| Houlton Junior High School | 3 | 295 | 1% |
| Houlton Elementary School | 1 | 283 | 0.4% |
| Eva Hoyt Zippel School | 2 | 259 | 0.8% |
| Fort Fairfield Middle/High School | 3 | 253 | 1.2% |
| Fort Kent Community High School | 5 | 240 | 2.1% |
| Ashland District School | 2 | 232 | 0.9% |
| Mapleton Elementary School | 2 | 226 | 0.9% |
| Fort Fairfield Elementary School | 1 | 220 | 0.5% |
| Madawaska Elementary School | 4 | 217 | 1.8% |
| Van Buren Elementary School | 10 | 203 | 4.9% |
| Hodgdon Middle/High School | 1 | 201 | 0.5% |
| Washburn District Elementary School | 6 | 182 | 3.3% |
| Fort Street School | 2 | 173 | 1.2% |
| Madawaska Middle/High School | 3 | 170 | 1.8% |
| Central Aroostook Junior-Senior High School | 2 | 163 | 1.2% |
| Woodland Consolidated School | 2 | 162 | 1.2% |
| Dr. Levesque Elementary School | 2 | 140 | 1.4% |
| Limestone Community School | 4 | 130 | 3.1% |
| Easton Elementary School | 2 | 116 | 1.7% |
| Valley Rivers Middle School | 3 | 102 | 2.9% |
| Wisdom Middle High School | 0 | 100 | -- |
| Maine School of Science & Mathematics | 1 | 99 | 1% |
| Easton Junior-Senior High School | 0 | 92 | -- |
| Washburn District High School | 1 | 83 | 1.2% |
| Van Buren District Secondary School | 2 | 55 | 3.6% |
| Dawn F. Barnes Elementary School | 0 | 40 | -- |
| Connor Consolidated School | 0 | 32 | -- |
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