Portland Maine News

There were 1,603 multiracial students enrolled in Cumberland County ditricts in the 2022-23 school year, 0.8% more than the previous year, according to the Maine Department of Education.

Data showed that multiracial students made up 4.3% of the 37,401 students in Cumberland County ditricts during the 2022-23 school year. They were the fourth most represented ethnicity.

Among the 22 districts in Cumberland County, Portland Public Schools recorded the highest enrollment of multiracial students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 408 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	Multiracial Students Enrollment	Total Enrollment	% of Total Enrollment
Portland Public Schools	408	6,722	6.1%
Regional School Unit 14	117	3,180	3.7%
South Portland Public Schools	171	3,044	5.6%
Scarborough Public Schools	1	2,880	<0.1%
Gorham Public Schools	101	2,736	3.7%
Brunswick Public Schools	178	2,352	7.6%
Westbrook Public Schools	102	2,351	4.3%
Regional School Unit 51/Maine School Administrative District 51	88	2,173	4%
Regional School Unit 05	51	2,029	2.5%
Falmouth Public Schools	40	1,994	2%
Regional School Unit 15/Maine School Administrative District 15	72	1,838	3.9%
Yarmouth Schools	110	1,658	6.6%
Regional School Unit 61/Maine School Administrative District 61	52	1,579	3.3%
Cape Elizabeth Public Schools	68	1,508	4.5%
Maine Connections Academy	21	442	4.8%
Baxter Academy for Technology and Science	7	340	2.1%
Sebago Public Schools	9	208	4.3%
Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences	2	185	1.1%
Harpswell Coastal Academy	2	110	1.8%
Chebeague Island Public Schools	0	35	--
Long Island Public Schools	2	30	6.7%
Arthur R. Gould School--LCYDC	1	7	14.3%