The majority of students in Penobscot County schools were white in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Maine Department of Education.
Of the 19,234 students attending school Penobscot County schools, 88.3% were white.
Multiracial students were the second largest ethnic group among Penobscot County students (4.3%).
In the previous school year, white students were also the most common group in Penobscot County, representing 88.8% of the student body.
Bangor High School had the evenest distribution of races among county schools, with 80.1% white, 7.3% multiracial, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 3.4% Asian, 2.5% Black, 1.4% American Indian or Alaskan Native, and 0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.
In the 2023-24 school year, public school enrollment in the county dropped 1.9% when compared to the previous year.
The main offices of all districts mentioned in the story are located in cities associated with Penobscot County.
As of 2025, the average student-to-teacher ratio in public schools in Maine is 11:1, much lower than the national average of one teacher for every 15 students. A lower student-to-teacher ratio has been found to improve students’ school performance.
Public school enrollment in Maine fell to its lowest level in a decade in the 2024-25 school year, dropping below even the sharp decline seen after the COVID-19 pandemic. The state reported approximately 171,000 students enrolled that year.
| School | Most Prevalent Ethnicity | No. of Students | Percent of Total Student Body | Total School Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ella P. Burr School | White | 324 | 98.2% | 330 |
| Enfield Station Elementary School | White | 198 | 97.5% | 203 |
| Hichborn Middle School | White | 92 | 96.8% | 95 |
| Mattanawcook Junior High School | White | 311 | 96.6% | 322 |
| Medway Middle School | White | 112 | 95.7% | 117 |
| Ridge View Community School | White | 522 | 95.6% | 546 |
| Katahdin Elementary School | White | 126 | 95.5% | 132 |
| Nokomis Regional Middle School | White | 489 | 95.5% | 512 |
| Central High School | White | 286 | 95.3% | 300 |
| Lee/Winn School | White | 80 | 95.2% | 84 |
| Hermon High School | White | 516 | 95.2% | 542 |
| Mattanawcook Academy | White | 263 | 95% | 277 |
| Carmel Elementary School | White | 149 | 94.9% | 157 |
| Holbrook School | White | 161 | 94.7% | 170 |
| Katahdin Middle/High School | White | 124 | 94.7% | 131 |
| Caravel Middle School | White | 201 | 94.4% | 213 |
| Newburgh Elementary School | White | 48 | 94.1% | 51 |
| Schenck High School | White | 95 | 94.1% | 101 |
| Granite Street School | White | 190 | 94.1% | 202 |
| Center Drive School | White | 330 | 94% | 351 |
| Holden School | White | 134 | 93.7% | 143 |
| Eddington School | White | 115 | 93.5% | 123 |
| Dexter Regional High School | White | 246 | 93.5% | 263 |
| Helen S. Dunn Elementary School | White | 129 | 93.5% | 138 |
| Penobscot Valley High School | White | 114 | 93.4% | 122 |
| Stearns Junior-Senior High School | White | 211 | 93.4% | 226 |
| Mt. Jefferson Junior High School | White | 69 | 93.2% | 74 |
| Alton Elementary School | White | 53 | 93% | 57 |
| Etna-Dixmont School | White | 173 | 93% | 186 |
| Sebasticook Valley Elementary School | White | 312 | 92.9% | 336 |
| Patricia A. Duran School | White | 424 | 92.6% | 458 |
| Glenburn Elementary School | White | 359 | 92.5% | 388 |
| Hampden Academy | White | 680 | 92.4% | 736 |
| Central Community Elementary School | White | 446 | 92.3% | 483 |
| Opal Myrick Elementary School | White | 127 | 92% | 138 |
| Dr. Lewis S. Libby School | White | 253 | 92% | 275 |
| Suzanne M. Smith Elementary School | White | 198 | 91.7% | 216 |
| Central Middle School | White | 203 | 91.4% | 222 |
| Reeds Brook Middle School | White | 307 | 91.4% | 336 |
| Nokomis Regional High School | White | 549 | 91.2% | 602 |
| Hermon Middle School | White | 287 | 90.8% | 316 |
| George B. Weatherbee School | White | 237 | 88.4% | 268 |
| Earl C. McGraw School | White | 250 | 87.4% | 286 |
| Brewer High School | White | 591 | 87.2% | 678 |
| Old Town High School | White | 451 | 87.1% | 518 |
| John Bapst Memorial High School | White | 388 | 86.8% | 447 |
| Orono Middle School | White | 122 | 85.9% | 142 |
| Leonard Middle School | White | 241 | 85.8% | 281 |
| Veazie Community School | White | 134 | 85.4% | 157 |
| Old Town Elementary School | White | 401 | 85.3% | 470 |
| Brewer Community School | White | 736 | 85.2% | 864 |
| Orono High School | White | 305 | 84.7% | 360 |
| Asa C. Adams School | White | 271 | 84.4% | 321 |
| Indian Island School | American Indian or Alaskan Native | 76 | 84.4% | 90 |
| White | 30 | 83.3% | 36 | |
| Fourteenth Street School | White | 128 | 82.6% | 155 |
| James F. Doughty School | White | 280 | 81.6% | 343 |
| Fairmount School | White | 199 | 81.2% | 245 |
| William S. Cohen School | White | 295 | 80.6% | 366 |
| Bangor High School | White | 831 | 80.1% | 1,037 |
| Downeast School | White | 235 | 79.7% | 295 |
| Lee Academy | White | 88 | 78.6% | 112 |
| Vine Street School | White | 149 | 78.4% | 190 |
| Fruit Street School | White | 251 | 78% | 322 |
| Indian Township School | American Indian or Alaskan Native | 92 | 74.2% | 124 |
| Mary Snow School | White | 189 | 74.1% | 255 |
| Kingman Elementary School | White | 11 | 73.3% | 15 |
| Abraham Lincoln School | White | 134 | 73.2% | 183 |
