08/22/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 08/23/2024 08:38
Resolve 2024, Chapter 164 directs the Maine Policy Research Institute and the Maine Department of Education (DOE) to conduct a targeted review of general-purpose aid for local schools. This review will focus on recruitment, retention, salaries and benefits; property valuation as a determinant of municipal ability to pay; regional cost differences; and a comparison of other states' mechanisms. Within these focused themes, the Maine DOE will be considering expenditure-driven components, municipal ability to pay, regional adjustments, and adjustments to the state share of the total allocation. This report is due to the Maine Legislature on March 15, 2025.
In an effort to include a variety of stakeholder voices from regions all across Maine, the Maine DOE is conducting a series of listening sessions to receive your feedback. While we hope our superintendents, teachers, school business officers, directors of special services, and career and technical education directors will join in these conversations, participation is not limited to those within the field of education. To this end, each session will include a virtual-only option for participants. In order to ensure that each participant has an opportunity to speak, the Maine DOE will follow the legislative practice of a 3-minute comment.
The times and dates of these listening sessions are as follows:
Discussion questions:
Participants may also submit their feedback in writing to Laura Cyr, Department of Education, State House Station #23, Augusta, Maine 04333, or [email protected]. For documentation purposes, written feedback is very helpful.