South Maine News

There were 959 Hispanic students enrolled in York County schools in the 2022-23 school year, 21.1% more than the previous year, according to the Maine Department of Education.

Data showed that Hispanic students made up 3.7% of the 25,735 students in York County schools at the time. They were the second most represented ethnicity.

Among the 60 schools in the county, Thornton Academy recorded the highest enrollment of Hispanic students in the 2022-23 school year, with a total of 69 students.

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 Name	Hispanic Students Enrollment	Total Enrollment	% of Total Enrollment
Thornton Academy	69	1,485	4.6%
Noble High School	32	1,168	2.7%
Sanford High School	40	1,042	3.8%
Sanford Middle School	40	935	4.3%
Massabesic High School	4	887	0.5%
Kennebunk High School	25	746	3.4%
Bonny Eagle Middle School	16	725	2.2%
Biddeford High School	45	707	6.4%
Marshwood High School	12	671	1.8%
Biddeford Middle School	38	640	5.9%
Massabesic Middle School	8	609	1.3%
C. K. Burns School	22	593	3.7%
Saco Middle School	20	581	3.4%
Wells Elementary School	14	559	2.5%
Buxton Center Elementary School	13	552	2.4%
Waterboro Elementary School	9	513	1.8%
York High School	8	500	1.6%
Middle School of the Kennebunks	13	479	2.7%
Marshwood Middle School	9	465	1.9%
York Middle School	10	462	2.2%
Wells Junior High School	6	435	1.4%
Margaret Chase Smith	18	432	4.2%
Noble Middle School	12	422	2.8%
Carl J. Lamb School	28	420	6.7%
Wells High School	14	410	3.4%
Central School	16	375	4.3%
Shapleigh School	30	372	8.1%
Kennebunk Elementary School	18	366	4.9%
Sanford Pride Elementary School	20	363	5.5%
Vivian E. Hussey School	22	363	6.1%
Biddeford Intermediate School	17	354	4.8%
Biddeford Primary School	28	354	7.9%
Coastal Ridge Elementary School	18	349	5.2%
Sea Road School	16	321	5%
Horace Mitchell Primary School	34	314	10.8%
Governor John Fairfield School	12	306	3.9%
Line Elementary School	5	298	1.7%
Marshwood Great Works School	8	295	2.7%
Young School	11	295	3.7%
Eliot Elementary School	11	294	3.7%
Hollis School	7	292	2.4%
Loranger Memorial School	11	289	3.8%
Robert W. Traip Academy	24	271	8.9%
John F. Kennedy Memorial School	23	270	8.5%
Hanson School	3	263	1.1%
North Berwick Elementary School	7	258	2.7%
Acton Elementary School	5	240	2.1%
Eric L. Knowlton School	9	238	3.8%
Lyman Elementary School	10	232	4.3%
H. B. Emery Jr. Memorial School	8	211	3.8%
Mildred L. Day School	8	208	3.8%
Village Elementary School-York	4	205	2%
Alfred Elementary School	6	204	2.9%
Old Orchard Beach High School	7	200	3.5%
Jameson Elementary School	8	182	4.4%
Kennebunkport Consolidated School	9	179	5%
Lebanon Elementary School	3	152	2%
Shapleigh Memorial School	7	152	4.6%
Dayton Consolidated School	4	117	3.4%
Saco Pre-K	5	115	4.3%