Portland Maine News

There were 1,833 Hispanic students enrolled in Cumberland County ditricts in the 2022-23 school year, 14.8% more than the previous year, according to the Maine Department of Education.

Data showed that Hispanic students made up 4.9% of the 37,401 students in Cumberland County ditricts during the 2022-23 school year. They were the third most represented ethnicity.

Among the 22 districts in Cumberland County, Portland Public Schools recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 719 students.

The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Cumberland 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	Hispanic Students Enrollment	Total Enrollment	% of Total Enrollment
Portland Public Schools	719	6,722	10.7%
Regional School Unit 14	100	3,180	3.1%
South Portland Public Schools	235	3,044	7.7%
Scarborough Public Schools	73	2,880	2.5%
Gorham Public Schools	83	2,736	3%
Brunswick Public Schools	116	2,352	4.9%
Westbrook Public Schools	119	2,351	5.1%
Regional School Unit 51/Maine School Administrative District 51	59	2,173	2.7%
Regional School Unit 05	43	2,029	2.1%
Falmouth Public Schools	39	1,994	2%
Regional School Unit 15/Maine School Administrative District 15	35	1,838	1.9%
Yarmouth Schools	58	1,658	3.5%
Regional School Unit 61/Maine School Administrative District 61	65	1,579	4.1%
Cape Elizabeth Public Schools	64	1,508	4.2%
Maine Connections Academy	10	442	2.3%
Baxter Academy for Technology and Science	9	340	2.6%
Sebago Public Schools	4	208	1.9%
Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences	0	185	--
Harpswell Coastal Academy	2	110	1.8%
Chebeague Island Public Schools	0	35	--
Long Island Public Schools	0	30	--
Arthur R. Gould School--LCYDC	0	7	--