Portland Maine News

The majority of students in Cumberland County schools were white in the 2022-23 school year, according to the Maine Department of Education.

Of the 38,512 students attending Cumberland County schools, 77.5% were white.

African American students were the second largest ethnic group among Cumberland County students (10.3%).

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Cumberland County, representing 78.7% of the student body.

James Otis Kaler Elementary School had the evenest distribution of races among county schools, with 51.3% white, 28.5% African American, 10.4% Hispanic or Latino, 5.7% multiracial, 3.1% Asian, 0.5% American Indian or Alaskan Native, and 0.5% 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 0.6% 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
Chebeague Island School	White	99.9%	10
Cliff Island School	White	99.9%	3
Long Island Elementary School	White	99.9%	13
Harpswell Community School	White	96.7%	121
Fiddlehead School of Arts & Science	White	96.2%	185
Crooked River Elementary School	White	94.3%	209
Songo Locks School	White	94.2%	242
Edna Libby Elementary School	White	94%	268
Jordan-Small Middle School	White	93.8%	177
Memorial School	White	93.1%	188
Harpswell Coastal Academy Division 1	White	93%	43
Russell School	White	92.5%	212
Gray-New Gloucester Middle School	White	92.4%	497
Sebago Elementary School	White	92.3%	104
Raymond Elementary School	White	92.2%	281
Greely High School	White	92%	603
Burchard A. Dunn School	White	91.9%	356
Blue Point School	White	91.4%	209
Falmouth Middle School	White	91.4%	442
Steep Falls Elementary School	White	91.4%	58
Greely Middle School	White	91.2%	479
Mabel I. Wilson School	White	91.1%	767
Bonny Eagle High School	White	91%	1,001
Harpswell Coastal Academy Divisions 2 and 3	White	91%	67
Stevens Brook School	White	90.8%	305
Pownal Elementary School	White	90.5%	95
Gray-New Gloucester High School	White	90.1%	598
Gorham High School	White	89.8%	797
Greely Middle School 4-5	White	89.8%	322
Gorham Middle School	White	89.7%	638
Lake Region High School	White	89.6%	502
Windham High School	White	89.6%	951
Cape Elizabeth High School	White	89.4%	517
Pleasant Hill School	White	89.2%	203
Baxter Academy for Technology & Sciences	White	88.8%	340
George E. Jack School	White	88.8%	161
Windham Primary School	White	88.8%	766
Harrison Elementary School	White	88.7%	97
Maine Connections Academy	White	88.7%	442
Village Elementary School-Gorham	White	88.7%	432
Freeport High School	White	88.5%	602
Freeport Middle School	White	88.4%	303
Great Falls Elementary School	White	88.3%	489
Falmouth High School	White	87.9%	702
Windham Middle School	White	87.9%	563
Frank H. Harrison Middle School	White	87.8%	377
Lake Region Middle School	White	87.6%	405
Cape Elizabeth Middle School	White	87.5%	432
Scarborough High School	White	87.1%	900
Mast Landing School	White	86.8%	242
Pond Cove Elementary School	White	86.7%	555
Manchester School	White	86.5%	385
Falmouth Elementary School	White	86.1%	847
Morse Street School	White	85.5%	323
Scarborough Middle School	White	85.5%	671
Narragansett Elementary School	White	85.1%	376
Yarmouth Elementary School	White	85.1%	470
Wentworth School	White	85%	673
Yarmouth High School	White	84.8%	545
William H. Rowe School	White	84.2%	285
Brunswick Junior High School	White	82.1%	530
Kate Furbish Elementary School	White	82.1%	613
Brunswick High School	White	81.8%	705
Peaks Island School	White	81.8%	44
Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School	White	79.4%	519
Longfellow School-Portland	White	77.9%	272
Dora L. Small Elementary School	White	77.1%	258
Eight Corners Elementary School	White	77.1%	218
Arthur R. Gould School--LCYDC	White	71.4%	7
Daniel F. Mahoney Middle School	White	71%	410
Dyer Elementary School	White	69.4%	199
Westbrook Middle School	White	65.7%	737
Frank I. Brown Elementary School	White	65.6%	224
Congin School	White	64.8%	295
Westbrook High School	White	63.7%	684
South Portland High School	White	63.2%	1,003
Oxford-Cumberland Canal School	White	60.6%	198
Saccarappa School	White	59.8%	400
Amanda C. Rowe School	White	59.6%	460
Lincoln Middle School	White	57.9%	428
Harrison Lyseth Elementary School	White	56.6%	493
Ocean Avenue	White	54.5%	380
Casco Bay High School	White	53.1%	375
Memorial Middle School	White	53.1%	394
James Otis Kaler Elementary School	White	51.3%	193
Lyman Moore Middle School	White	51.3%	495
East End Community School	African American	50.5%	408
Portland High School	White	50%	999
Waldo T. Skillin Elementary School	White	46.3%	352
Presumpscot School	African American	42.1%	247
Gerald E. Talbot Community School	African American	40.9%	372
King Middle School	African American	40%	490
Deering High School	African American	39.2%	804
Howard C. Reiche Community School	African American	38.5%	460