School funding projections give Maine districts a mix of good and bad news
The state has adjusted its funding formula to help preserve staffing levels in light of temporary enrollment declines caused by COVID-19.
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The Portland school district is expecting to get nearly $1 million less in state education aid this year than what it received last year, but other districts in southern Maine will see higher levels of state funding under new allocations published by the Maine Department of Education.
Overall, school districts around Maine are likely to see relatively stable state funding levels this year with a mix of gains and losses. The state is picking up slightly more of the cost of education and also has adjusted its funding formula to account for temporary declines in enrollment due to COVID-19 and to ensure that schools don’t run into problems providing adequate staff next year.
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Members of the Portland/Deering girls’ hockey team run drills at Troubh Ice Arena in Portland on Dec. 10. By late December, Cumberland County had been designated “yellow,” forcing high school teams halt all in-person activities.
Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
The Maine Principals’ Association on Wednesday gave the go-ahead to schools located in “yellow” counties to begin practicing immediately with games to follow, making the decision a local matter and prompting celebration – and even some tears – among high school athletes and coaches.
“Oh my God. You made my day,” Danny Tocci, a Portland High senior ice hockey player, said when he was told the news. “Just to have some sense of normalcy back is going to be good for my teammates to see each other on a daily basis.”
, President of the Maine Service Employees Association, SEIU Local 1989.
“AFSCME Council 93 commends Governor Janet Mills for crafting a budget plan that does not attempt to place the burden of the state’s fiscal challenges on the backs of dedicated and hard-working public employees. Given that our members working in state corrections and mental health have bravely continued working on the frontlines throughout the pandemic, we appreciate that the governor’s budget does not call for layoffs or furloughs of state employees. In addition, by maintaining current funding levels for municipalities, the governor has provided some measure of security for the hundreds of AFSCME members who continue to serve in vital, essential services in our cities and towns,”
Maine public school enrollments drop amid pandemic
More families are choosing to home-school or send their children to private schools, and the drop in public school enrollment can have financial implications for districts.
Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer
Enrollment in Maine’s public schools dropped by more than 4 percent this year, a significant decrease that comes as the coronavirus pandemic is driving more families to enroll in private school or home-school their children.
Numbers for homeschool enrollment have not yet been finalized, but to date the state has already seen an increase of more than 40 percent in home-school students. In 2019-20, about 6,880 Maine students were home-schooled, but that number is now at more than 10,100. Additionally, the state has had more than 860 students withdraw from public school to attend private schools this year, compared with about 290 last year.