Portland Maine News

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

Of the 37,401 students attending schools in the county, 77% were white. African American students were the second most represented ethnic group, making up 10.5% of the total enrollment.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Cumberland County, representing 78.3% of the student body.

Portland Public Schools had the evenest distribution of races among county districts, with 46.8% white, 31.7% African American, 10.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.1% multiracial, 4.3% Asian, and 0.3% American Indian or Alaskan Native.

In the 2022-23 school year, the total number of students enrolled in public districts 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."

District	Most Prevalent Ethnicity	Percent of Total Student Body	Total Students
Chebeague Island Public Schools	White	99.9%	35
Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences	White	96.2%	185
Long Island Public Schools	White	93.3%	30
Harpswell Coastal Academy	White	91.8%	110
Regional School Unit 15/Maine School Administrative District 15	White	91.5%	1,838
Regional School Unit 51/Maine School Administrative District 51	White	91.2%	2,173
Regional School Unit 61/Maine School Administrative District 61	White	91.1%	1,579
Regional School Unit 05	White	89.3%	2,029
Regional School Unit 14	White	89.2%	3,180
Baxter Academy for Technology and Science	White	88.8%	340
Maine Connections Academy	White	88.7%	442
Gorham Public Schools	White	88.6%	2,736
Sebago Public Schools	White	88%	208
Falmouth Public Schools	White	87.9%	1,994
Cape Elizabeth Public Schools	White	87.8%	1,508
Scarborough Public Schools	White	86%	2,880
Yarmouth Schools	White	85.2%	1,658
Brunswick Public Schools	White	81.3%	2,352
Arthur R. Gould School--LCYDC	White	71.4%	7
Westbrook Public Schools	White	63.6%	2,351
South Portland Public Schools	White	61.9%	3,044
Portland Public Schools	White	46.8%	6,722