Mid Coast Today

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

Of the 3,962 students attending Waldo County schools, 92.9% were white.

Multiracial students were the second largest ethnic group among Waldo County students (4%).

In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Waldo County, representing 93.3% of the student body.

Troy A. Howard Middle School had the most diverse student body in Waldo County, which included white, multiracial, Hispanic or Latino, Asian, African American, American Indian or Alaskan Native, and 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
Searsport Elementary School	White	99.5%	209
Palermo Consolidated School	White	98.3%	120
Lincolnville Central School	White	97.5%	203
Gladys Weymouth Elementary School	White	96.1%	77
Ames Elementary School	White	95.2%	124
Islesboro Central School	White	94.9%	78
Kermit S. Nickerson School	White	94.4%	54
Leroy H. Smith School	White	94.3%	264
Troy Central School	White	94.2%	52
Ecology Learning Center	White	93.9%	99
Mt. View High School	White	93.9%	295
Samuel L. Wagner Middle School	White	93.8%	208
Searsport District Middle School	White	93.5%	92
Mt. View Middle School	White	92.8%	222
Edna Drinkwater School	White	92.7%	82
Mt. View Elementary School	White	92.6%	217
Walker Memorial School	White	91.9%	62
Searsport District High School	White	91.4%	128
Captain Albert W. Stevens School	White	91.3%	252
East Belfast School	White	90.9%	99
Monroe Elementary School	White	90.9%	66
Unity Elementary School	White	90%	20
Troy A. Howard Middle School	White	89.7%	348
Belfast Area High School	White	88.4%	490
Morse Memorial School	White	88.1%	101