Public education in Maine

in Maine

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K-12 education in Maine

Education facts

State superintendent: Pender Makin

Number of students: 185,739

Number of teachers: 15,222

Teacher/pupil ratio: 1:12

Number of school districts: 174

Number of schools: 617

Graduation rate: 86.4%

Per-pupil spending: $12,147

See also

Maine Department of Education • List of school districts in Maine • Maine • School boards portal

Public education in the United States Public education in Maine Glossary of education terms

Note: The statistics on this page are mainly from government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Figures given are the most recent as of June 2015, with school years noted in the text or footnotes.

The Maine public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2013 Maine had 185,739 students enrolled in a total of 617 schools in 255 school districts. There were 15,222 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 12 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. There was roughly one administrator for every 204 students, compared to the national average of one administrator for every 295 students. On average Maine spent $12,147 per pupil in 2013, which ranked it 15th highest in the nation. The state's graduation rate was 86.4 percent in 2013.^[1][2][3]

Common Core[edit]

Common Core, or the Common Core State Standards Initiative, is an American education initiative that outlines quantifiable benchmarks in English and mathematics at each grade level from kindergarten through high school. The Maine Department of Education adopted the standards on April 4, 2011. Full implementation took place during the 2012-2013 academic year.^[4][5]

Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) signed a bill in June of 2015 requiring the state to pull out of its partnership with the Smarter Balanced Consortium, which provided Common Core-aligned state testing for the 2014-2015 school year. As a result, the state was required to find a new testing provider or develop its own tests for the 2015-2016 school year.^[6]

General information[edit]

See also: General comparison table for education statistics in the 50 states and Education spending per pupil in all 50 states

The following chart shows how Maine compared to three neighboring states with respect to the number of students, schools, teachers per pupil and administrators per pupil for the 2012-2013 school year. The chart also displays that information at the national level. At $12,147, Maine had the lowest spending per pupil among its neighboring states in the 2012-2013 school year.

Further comparisons between these states with respect to performance and financial information are given in other sections of this page.

Schools by type[edit]

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Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming
School board elections portal Glossary of education terms School choice on the ballot Education on the ballot

See also: Number of schools by school type in the United States

The table below breaks down each of the different types of schools in Maine and nearby states. Of the 98,454 schools in the United States, 89,031 were classified as regular schools. After regular schools, magnet schools and charter schools were the most prevalent non-traditional schools in the country, at 6,079 and 5,986, respectively.

Also listed are the numbers of schools in each state that are classified as "Title I" schools. These are public schools that have been specially targeted to correct achievement gaps in public schools.^[7]

In Maine, there were 587 regular schools as of 2013. The second most prevalent type of school in the state was vocational schools, with 27 schools.

Demographics[edit]

See also: Demographic information for all students in all 50 states

The following table displays the ethnic distribution of students in Maine as reported in the National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data for 2012-2013.^[8]

During the 2012-2013 school year, just over half of all students in K-12 public schools nationwide were white. About a quarter of the students in the country were Hispanic, with black students making up about 16 percent of the student population.

In Maine, the majority of students were white. White students totaled 169,722, which was about 91.4 percent of the student population in the state. There were 5,637 black students in Maine, which accounted for 3 percent of the total student population.

Enrollments by region type[edit]

See also: Student distribution by region type in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 30 percent of all public school students in the country attended city schools during the 2012-2013 school year. About 40 percent attended suburban schools. Approximately 11.5 percent of all students attended schools in towns, while about 18.7 percent attended rural schools.^[9]

A majority of students in Maine attended rural schools during the 2012-2013 school year. Approximately 28 percent of the state's students attended city or suburban schools, compared to the approximately 72 percent who attended rural or town schools.

Academic performance[edit]

Education terms
For more information on education policy terms, see this article.
School board elections portal Glossary of education terms School choice on the ballot Education on the ballot

NAEP scores[edit]

See also: NAEP scores by state

The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The table below presents the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. Compared to three neighboring states (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont), Maine had the smallest share of students who scored at or above proficient in math and reading.^[10]

Graduation, ACT and SAT scores[edit]

See also: Graduation rates by groups in state and ACT and SAT scores in the United States

The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Maine and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.^[10][11][12]

In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT, and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.^[13]

Maine schools reported a graduation rate of 86.4 percent during the 2012-2013 school year, the second-lowest among its neighboring states.

In Maine, more students took the SAT than the ACT in 2013, earning an average SAT score of 1380.

Dropout rate[edit]

See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states

The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for Maine was higher than the national average at 3.5 percent in the 2010-2011 school year. The dropout rate was lower than the national average at 3.2 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.^[14]

Educational choice options[edit]

See also: School choice in Maine

School choice options in Maine included charter schools, a limited voucher program, an inter-district enrollment policy and some online learning programs. In addition, about 9.35 percent of school-age children in the state attended private schools in the 2011-2012 academic year, and an estimated 2.67 percent were homeschooled in 2012-2013.

Developments[edit]

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)[edit]

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Media coverage and commentary
U.S. Supreme Court 2019-2020 term
Blaine Amendment (U.S. Constitution)
Blaine amendments in state constitutions
School choice on the ballot
Education on the ballot

See also: Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.^[15]

In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.^[16]

The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution—where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion—and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.

Maine is not one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.

Education funding and expenditures[edit]

See also: Maine state budget and finances

Breakdown of expenditures by function in fiscal year 2013
Source: National Association of State Budget Officers

According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), states spent an average of 19.8 percent of their total budgets on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the United States Census Bureau found that approximately 45.6 percent of the country's school system revenue came from state sources, while about 45.3 percent came from local sources. The remaining portion of school system revenue came from federal sources.^[17][18]

Maine spent approximately 16.9 percent of its budget on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. The state school systems' revenue came primarily from local funds. When compared to its neighboring states, Maine spent the second lowest percentage of its total budget on public education.

Revenue breakdowns[edit]

See also: Public school system revenues in the U.S. to compare all states.

According to the United States Census Bureau, public school system revenues totaled approximately $598 billion in fiscal year 2013.^[18]

In Maine, the primary source of school system revenue was local funding, at $1.4 billion. Maine's total revenue, when compared to its neighboring states, was the second lowest during fiscal year 2013.

Expenditure breakdowns[edit]

See also: Public school system expenditures in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system expenditures totaled approximately $602 billion in fiscal year 2012.^[19]

Public education expenditures in Maine totaled approximately $2.5 billion in fiscal year 2012. When compared to neighboring states, Maine reported the second lowest total expenditures.

Personnel salaries[edit]

See also: Public school teacher salaries in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average national salary for classroom teachers in public elementary and secondary schools declined by 1.3 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to the 2012-2013 school year. During the same period in Maine, the average salary decreased by one percent.^[21]

Organizations[edit]

State agencies[edit]

See also: Maine Department of Education

The mission statement of the Maine Department of Education reads:^[22]

The Commissioner of Education is the chief official of the Department of Education and is nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the state legislature. Debra Plowman was appointed as acting commissioner in 2016. However, the actual power of the commissioner is vested in the office of the acting deputy commissioner, held by Bill Beardsley. Beardsley was initially appointed acting commissioner on October 16, 2015, by Gov. Paul LePage (R). After Beardsley's temporary term had expired, LePage appointed him acting deputy commissioner and transferred most of the powers of the commissioner to himself and Deputy Commissioner Beardsley.^{[24][25][26][27]}

The Maine State Board of Education "acts in an advisory capacity to the Commissioner of Education in matters concerning state education laws and makes education policy recommendations to the legislative and executive branches of state government."^[28]

Unions[edit]

In 2012 the Fordham Institute and Education Reform Now assessed the power and influence of state teacher unions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings were based on 37 different variables in five broad areas: resources and membership, involvement in politics, scope of bargaining, state policies and perceived influence. Maine ranked 22nd overall for union power and influence, or "average," which was in the third of five tiers.^[29]

The main union related to the Maine school system is the Maine Education Association (MEA), an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA). For the 2003 tax period MEA had $6.47 million in total revenue, $6.63 million in total expenses and $2.63 million in total assets.^[30]

List of local Maine school unions:^[31]

• Maine Education Association
• Portland Educators Association
• Medomak Valley Education Association
• Oxford Hills Teachers Association
• Bangor Education Foundation
• Sabattus Education Association

Taxpayer-funded lobbying[edit]

See also: Maine government sector lobbying

The main education government sector lobbying organization is the Maine School Boards Association.

Transparency[edit]

Maine’s audit reports are published online by the Department of Audit. The Maine Department of Audit's primary responsibility is to audit the state's financial statements and federal program expenditures.^[32]

Studies and reports[edit]

Quality Counts 2014[edit]

See also: Education Week survey

Education Week, a publication that reports on many education issues throughout the country, began using an evaluation system in 1997 to grade each state on various elements of education performance. This system, called Quality Counts, uses official data on performance from each state to generate report cards for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report card in 2014 uses six different categories:

1. Chance for success
2. K-12 achievement
3. Standards, assessments and accountability
4. The teaching profession
5. School finance
6. Transitions and alignment

Each of these six categories had a number of other elements that received individual scores. Those scores were then averaged and used to determine the final score in each category. Every state received two types of scores for each of the six major categories: A numerical score out of 100 and a letter grade based on that score. Education Week used the score for the first category, "chance for success," as the value for ranking each state and the District of Columbia. The average grade received in the entire country was 77.3, or a C+ average. The country's highest average score was in the category of "standards, assessments and accountability" at 85.3, or a B average. The lowest average score was in "K-12 achievement", at 70.2, or a C- average.

Maine received a score of 78.8, or a C+ average in the "chance for success" category. This was above the national average. The state's highest score was in "school finance" at 83.9, or a B average. The lowest score was in "the teaching profession" at 67.8, or a D+ average. Maine had the second lowest score for "standards, assessments and accountability" in the country at 69.6. The chart below displays the scores of Maine and its surrounding states.^[33]

Note: Click on a column heading to sort the data.

State Budget Solutions education study[edit]

See also: State spending on education v. academic performance (2012)

State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009 to 2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending, graduation rates and average ACT scores. The study showed that the states that spent the most did not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor did they have the highest average graduation rates. A summary of the study is available here. The full report can be accessed here.

School districts[edit]

See also: School board elections portal

District types[edit]

School districts in Maine are divided into six different types:^[34]

• School administrative districts serve two or more participating cities, towns or plantations and make up the majority of school district in Maine.
• Community school districts are school administrative units formed between two or more participating cities, towns, or plantations for any combination of grades K-12.
• Incorporated school districts serve a single city or town.
• Interstate school districts provide for the construction and operation of schools.
• Applied technology regions are established institutions that provide vocational education.
• Indian school districts are independent school district governments that elect tribal school committee governs each school under the laws applicable to school administrative units.

School board composition[edit]

School board members are elected by residents of the school district. School boards are composed of at least one member from each municipality or sub-district otherwise stated. In municipalities with annual elections, directors serve three-year terms. In municipalities with biennial elections, directors serve four-year terms. Should a vacancy occur, an interim board member is selected until the next election.^[35]

Term limits[edit]

While Maine imposes term limits on statewide offices, they do not impose them on school board members.

Elections[edit]

See also: Maine school board elections, 2021

No Maine school districts within Ballotpedia's coverage scope are holding school board elections in 2021.

Path to the ballot[edit]

Candidates for local school boards in Maine must:^[36]

• Collect a minimum of 300 signatures from registered Maine voters. They must also have each petition verified by its circulator.
• Have all aforementioned signatures certified by the applicable registrar of voters prior to filing with the Secretary of State.
• Have the registrar of voters in the municipality where you are registered to vote complete the "Certification of Unenrollment."
• Sign a "Candidate’s Consent" before a notary public.
• Present the petitions to the Secretary of State for review.
• Comply with the campaign finance law regarding registration, record keeping and reporting requirements.

Recent legislation[edit]

The following is a list of recent education bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Maine state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

Education ballot measures[edit]

See also: Education on the ballot and List of Maine ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following statewide ballot measures relating to education.

1. Maine Asbestos and Air Quality Hazards in State Facilities and Public Schools, Question 9 (1989)
2. Maine Baxter School for the Deaf Safety Improvements, Question 8 (1994)
3. Maine Bond Interest for York County Vocational Education Center, Referendum Question No. 1 (1970)
4. Maine Boys' Training Center, State Prison and Stevens School, Referendum Question No. 5 (1965)
5. Maine Capitalize School Revolving Renovation Fund, Question 4 (2001)
6. Maine College and Vocational-Technical Classroom Facilities, Referendum Question No. 2 (1967)
7. Maine Colleges and Vocational-Technical Institutes Student Housing and Dining, Referendum Question No. 4 (1967)
8. Maine Common Core Referendum (2015)
9. Maine Community College System Building Upgrade Bond, Question 5 (2013)
10. Maine Cost-Sharing Taxes for Education, Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 6 (1978)
11. Maine Educational Facilities and Land Acquisition, Referendum Question No. 9 (1969)
12. Maine Educational Television Network, Referendum Question (1962)
13. Maine Educational and Cultural Improvements, Question 3 (2007)
14. Maine Emergency School Maintenance Problems, Question No. 3 (1990)
15. Maine Farmington State College Women's Dormitories, Referendum Question No. 2B (1968)
16. Maine Fort Kent State College Multi-Purpose Building, Referendum Question No. 1 (1967)
17. Maine Foundation Program School Subsidies, Referendum Question No. 4 (1969)
18. Maine Gould Academic Building Appropriations Use, Referendum Question No. 4 (1970)
19. Maine Higher Education Campuses Improvements, Question 6 (2005)
20. Maine Higher Education Loans, Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 2 (1967)
21. Maine Higher Education Loans, Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 3 (1971)
22. Maine Higher Education Loans to Parents, Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 2 (1982)
23. Maine Leavitt Hall at Maine Maritime Academy Renovation, Referendum Question No. 2 (1977)
24. Maine Maritime Academy Dining Facility, Referendum Question No. 1 (1963)
25. Maine Maritime Academy Dormitories, Referendum Question No. 2A (1968)
26. Maine Maritime Academy Pier Reconstruction, Question 5 (1987)
27. Maine Native American Reservation School, Water and Sewage Facilities, Referendum Question No. 1 (1968)
28. Maine Northern Vocational-Technical Institute Dormitory, Referendum Question (1978)
29. Maine Old Age Assistance and Minimum Education, Referendum Question (1937)
30. Maine Public Learning Centers Improvements, Question 6 (2001)
31. Maine Question 4, University of Maine System Bond Issue (2018)
32. Maine Question 5, Community Colleges Bond Issue (2018)
33. Maine Repeal of the School Consolidation Laws (2008)
34. Maine School, Technical and Vocational Centers Construction, Referendum Question No. 6 (1967)
35. Maine School, Technical and Vocational Centers Construction, Referendum Question No. 7 (1969)
36. Maine School Building Authority Bond Issue Adjustment, Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 3 (1981)
37. Maine School Building Authority and Municipal Debt Limits, Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 3 (1955)
38. Maine School Building Construction, Referendum Question No. 2 (1970)
39. Maine School Building Construction, Referendum Question No. 2 (1974)
40. Maine School Bus Acquisition, Question 8 (1987)
41. Maine School Compliance with Educational Reform Law and Mental Health Institute Activity Building, Bond Issue 4 (1986)
42. Maine School Consolidation Referendum (2008)
43. Maine School Consolidation Repeal and Replacement, Question 3 (2009)
44. Maine School Finance and Tax Reform, Question 1 (2003)
45. Maine School Finance and Tax Reform Carry-over, Question 1 (2004)
46. Maine School Revolving Renovation Fund, Sprinkler Grants and Homeless Center for Teenagers, Question 1 (2002)
47. Maine State Guaranteed Loans for Private Colleges, Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 1 (1969)
48. Maine State Insured School Building Authority Loans, Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 4 (1969)
49. Maine State Teachers College Student Housing, Referendum Question No. 2 (1961)
50. Maine State Teachers Colleges Student Housing, Referendum Question No. 3 (1963)
51. Maine Statewide Library Information System, Question 1 (1996)
52. Maine Tax on Incomes Exceeding $200,000 for Public Education, Question 2 (2016)
53. Maine Teachers Colleges and Vocational-Technical Schools Student Housing and Dining, Referendum Question No. 1 (1965)
54. Maine Technical Colleges Infrastructure Improvements, Question 6 (1999)
55. Maine Telecommunications Infrastructure and Classroom Technology Equipment, Question 3 (1995)
56. Maine Training Equipment for Technical Colleges, Question 7 (1994)
57. Maine Tuition for Unemployed, Full-Time Technical College Students, Question 5 (1992)
58. Maine University, Community College, Maritime Academy and State Library Improvements, Question 5 (2003)
59. Maine University Buildings, Bond Issue 3 (1984)
60. Maine University Capital Improvements, Referendum Question No. 4 (1965)
61. Maine University Classroom Expansion and Improvement, Referendum Question No. 1 (1969)
62. Maine University Classroom Expansion and Improvement, Referendum Question No. 2 (1972)
63. Maine University Classroom Expansion and Improvement, Referendum Question No. 3 (1970)
64. Maine University Classroom Facilities Expansion, Referendum Question No. 4 (1967)
65. Maine University Construction and Renovations, Referendum Question No. 3 (1977)
66. Maine University Housing, Referendum Question No. 3 (1959)
67. Maine University Housing, Referendum Question No. 3 (1965)
68. Maine University Housing Renovation, Referendum Question No. 1 (1975)
69. Maine University Research and Advanced Study Building, Referendum Question No. 7 (1967)
70. Maine University System Academic Improvements, Question 4 (1994)
71. Maine University System Bond, Question 2 (2013)
72. Maine University System Construction and Upgrades, Question 6 (1988)
73. Maine University System Facilities Upgrade, Bond Issue 9 (1986)
74. Maine Veterans' Mortgage Loans and School Building Authority Bond Issue Adjustments (1976)
75. Maine Vocational-Technical Institutes Buildings and Maritime Academy Tugboat, Bond Issue 1 (1984)
76. Maine Vocational-Technical Institutes Construction Projects, Referendum Question No. 4 (1977)
77. Maine Vocational-Technical Institutes Equipment and Land Purchases, Bond Issue 7 (1985)
78. Maine Vocational-Technical Institutes System Capital Improvements, Question 5 (1989)
79. Maine Vocational-Technical Institutes and Boys Training Center Funding, Referendum Question No. 2 (1970)
80. Maine Vocational-Technical Institutes and Maritime Academy Improvements, Referendum Question (1980)
81. Maine Vocational High Schools Capital Expenses, Question 3 (1998)
82. Maine Vocational Technical and Reservation Schools Funding, Referendum Question No. 1 (1972)
83. Maine York County Regional Vocational Education Center, Referendum Question No. 6 (1965)

In the news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Maine education policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also[edit]

• Historical public education information in Maine
• Maine state budget and finances
• Maine Department of Education
• List of school districts in Maine
• School choice in Maine
• Charter schools in Maine
• Maine
• Education Policy in the U.S.

External links[edit]

• Maine Department of Education (MDOE)
• Maine State Board of Education
• Yearly AYP status of Maine schools (MDOE)
• MDOE Legislation and Rulemaking

Footnotes[edit]

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