South Maine News

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

Of the 27,037 students attending schools in the county, 88.5% were white. Hispanic or Latino students were the second most represented ethnic group, making up 3.5% of the total enrollment.

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in York County, representing 89.8% of the student body.

Kittery Public Schools had the evenest distribution of races among county districts, with 81.1% white, 9.2% Hispanic or Latino, 4.8% multiracial, 2.2% African American, 2.1% Asian, 0.5% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and 0.2% 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 1.1% 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
Dayton Public Schools	White	94.3%	331
Regional School Unit 57/Maine School Administrative District 57	White	93.5%	2,911
Acton Public Schools	White	93.5%	325
Regional School Unit 35/Maine School Administrative District 35	White	92.4%	2,118
York Public Schools	White	92.2%	1,531
Regional School Unit 06/Maine School Administrative District 06	White	91.9%	3,283
Wells-Ogunquit Community School District	White	91.3%	1,411
Regional School Unit 21	White	91.2%	2,430
Regional School Unit 60/Maine School Administrative District 60	White	91.1%	2,867
Sanford Public Schools	White	85%	3,127
Saco Public Schools	White	84.9%	2,759
Regional School Unit 23	White	83.5%	672
Kittery Public Schools	White	81.1%	961
Biddeford Public Schools	White	75.1%	2,311