The majority of students in Cumberland County districts were white in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Maine Department of Education.
Of the 37,105 students attending schools in the county, 76.2% were white. Black students were the second most represented ethnic group, making up 10.6% of the total enrollment.
In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Cumberland County, representing 77% of the student body.
Portland Public Schools had the evenest distribution of races among county districts, with 46.9% white, 31.5% Black, 10.8% Hispanic or Latino, 6.2% multiracial, 4.3% Asian, and 0.3% American Indian or Alaskan Native.
In the 2023-24 school year, public school enrollment in the county dropped by 0.8% when compared to the previous year.
The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Cumberland County.
As of 2025, the average student-to-teacher ratio in public schools in Maine is 11:1, much lower than the national average of one teacher for every 15 students. A lower student-to-teacher ratio has been found to improve students’ school performance.
Public school enrollment in Maine fell to its lowest level in a decade in the 2024-25 school year, dropping below even the sharp decline seen after the COVID-19 pandemic. The state reported approximately 171,000 students enrolled that year.
| District | Most Prevalent Ethnicity | No. of Students | Percent of Total Student Body | Total Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chebeague Island Public Schools | White | 33 | 100% | 33 |
| Long Island Public Schools | White | 25 | 96.2% | 26 |
| Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | White | 168 | 91.8% | 183 |
| Regional School Unit 15/Maine School Administrative District 15 | White | 1,630 | 91.2% | 1,787 |
| Regional School Unit 51/Maine School Administrative District 51 | White | 2,006 | 91.1% | 2,202 |
| Regional School Unit 61/Maine School Administrative District 61 | White | 1,412 | 91% | 1,552 |
| Regional School Unit 05 | White | 1,794 | 88.1% | 2,037 |
| Regional School Unit 14 | White | 2,716 | 87.6% | 3,102 |
| Sebago Public Schools | White | 182 | 87.5% | 208 |
| Falmouth Public Schools | White | 1,741 | 87.4% | 1,992 |
| Cape Elizabeth Public Schools | White | 1,333 | 86.9% | 1,534 |
| Gorham Public Schools | White | 2,455 | 86.8% | 2,830 |
| Maine Connections Academy | White | 408 | 86.8% | 470 |
| Baxter Academy for Technology and Science | White | 311 | 85.7% | 363 |
| Yarmouth Schools | White | 1,401 | 85.4% | 1,641 |
| Scarborough Public Schools | White | 2,335 | 82% | 2,849 |
| Brunswick Public Schools | White | 1,932 | 80.6% | 2,397 |
| Arthur R. Gould School–LCYDC | White | 10 | 71.4% | 14 |
| South Portland Public Schools | White | 1,801 | 62.2% | 2,894 |
| Westbrook Public Schools | White | 1,447 | 61.9% | 2,339 |
| Portland Public Schools | White | 3,120 | 46.9% | 6,652 |
