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   ISSUES  > Education > School Choice
 
 

School Choice Status  
K-12 Public Schools and Students (2001-2002)
K-12 Public School Teachers (2001-2002)
K-12 Private Schools
K-12 Public and Private School Student Academic Performance
Summary
Background
State School Report Card
blue line

Maine
 

School Choice Status

  • Public school choice: Interdistrict/voluntary
  • State constitution: No prohibitive language
  • Charter school law: No
    Strength of law: No Law
  • Publicly funded private school choice: Yes
  • Home-school law: High regulation

K-12 Public Schools and Students (2002-2003)

  • Public school enrollment : 204,337
  • Students enrolled per teacher (2001-2002): 12.4
  • Number of schools (2000-2001): 686
  • Number of districts: 232
  • Current expenditures: $1,909,628,000
  • Current per-pupil expenditure: $9,344
  • Amount of revenue from the federal government: 8.9%

K-12 Public School Teachers (2002-2003)

  • Number of teachers: 16,895
  • Average salary: $38,518

K-12 Private Schools (2001-2002)

  • Private school enrollment: 18,779
  • Number of schools: 145
  • Number of teachers: 1,896

K-12 Public and Private School Student Academic Performance

  • NAEP test results:
 

NAEP Tests
 Maine Student
Performance

State (National)
2005 Math
Scale = 0-500

State (National)
2005 Science
Scale = 0-300



State (National)
2005 Reading
Scale = 0-500

 

 

4th Grade

8th Grade

4th Grade

8th Grade

4th Grade

8th Grade

Average Scale Score

241 (237)

281 (278)

160 (151)

158 (149)

225 (217)

270 (260)

Advanced

5% (5%)

5% (6%)

3% (3%)

3% (3%)

9% (7%)

4% (3%)

Proficient

34% (30%)

25% (23%)

33% (29%)

32% (29%)

27% (23%)

34% (26%)

Basic

46% (44%)

44% (39%)

45% (68%)

37% (59%)

36% (33%)

43% (42%)

Below Basic

16% (21%)

26% (32%)

19% (32%)

28% (41%)

29% (38%)

19% (29%)

 

State Contacts

Homeschoolers of Maine
Ed Green, President
P.O. Box 159
Camden, ME 04843
Phone: (207) 763-2880
Fax: 207-763-4352
Website: www.homeschoolersofmaine.org
E-mail: homeschl@midcoast.com

Maine Association for Charter Schools
Judith Jones, Chair
199 Hatchet Mountain Road
Hope, ME 04847
Phone: (207) 763-3576
Fax: (207) 763-4552
Website: www.mainecharterschools.org/
E-mail: macs@mainecharterschool.org

Maine Children's Scholarship Fund
Kari Picard, Program Director
PO Box 913
Bangor, ME 04401-0913
Phone: (207) 945-6893
Fax: (207) 945-6583
Website: www.mecsf.org
E-mail: info@mecsf.org

Maine Heritage Policy Center
William Becker, President
P.O. Box 7829
Portland, ME
Phone: (207) 321-2550
Fax: (207) 773-4385
Website: www.mainepolicy.org
E-mail: wbecker@mainepolicy.org; info@mainepolicy.org

Maine Public Policy Institute
Betsy Chapman, Board Chair
27 State Street, Suite 68
Bangor, ME 04401
Phone: (207) 944-3264
Fax: (207) 862-2433
Website: www.maineinstitute.com
E-mail: bpchapman@adelphia.net

 

State School Report Card
Greatschools.net
Web site: www.greatschools.net/modperl/go/ME

Independent Schools Association
of Northern New England
Web site: www.isanne.org/frame_isanne.asp?x=choose

Maine State Department of Education
Web site: www.state.me.us/education/profiles/profilehome.htm

SchoolMatters.com
Web site: www.schoolmatters.com


[1] Institute for Justice, "The Case for School Choice: Raymond, Maine Litigation Backgrounder," at www.ij.org/cases/index.html.
[2] Education Commission of the States, "Postsecondary Options: Dual/Concurrent Enrollment," July 2001.
[3] Institute for Justice, "The Case for School Choice."
[4] Frank Heller, "Lessons from Maine: Education Vouchers for Students Since 1873," Cato Institute Briefing Paper No. 66, September 10, 2001.
[5] Institute for Justice, "The Case for School Choice."
[6] Ibid.
[7] Heller, "Lessons from Maine."
[8] Institute for Justice, "The Case for School Choice."
[9] Correspondence from Maureen Blum, Institute for Justice, December 16, 1998.
[10] Institute for Justice, "Maine School Choice," at www.ij.org/cases/index.html.

[11] Maine Association for Charter Schools, "Frequently Asked Questions," at www.mainecharterschools.org/Faqs.cfm. See also Maine School of Science and Mathematics Web site at www.mssm.org/about/index.htm.
[12] Maine Association for Charter Schools, "Brief History of Charter School Efforts in Maine," at www.mainecharterschools.org/MaineStatus.cfm.
[13] See National School Boards Association Web site at www.nsba.org/novouchers.
[14] See Maine Children's Scholarship Fund Web site at www.mecsf.org/Homex.html.
[15] Phone conversation with Betsy Chapman, President, MCSF Board of Directors, April 22, 2003.
[16] Maine Association for Charter Schools, "Brief History of Charter School Efforts in Maine."
[17] See Maine Legislature Web site at http://janus.state.me.us/legis/.
[18] Tess Nacelewicz, "Schooling at Home: Advocates Rise to Test," Portland Press Herald, February 22, 2001.
[19] Home School Legal Defense Association, "Maine Homeschoolers Denied Access to Private School Sports," March 18, 2003, at www.hslda.org/docs/news/hslda/200303/200303200.asp.
[20] Home School Legal Defense Association, "Judge Rules Against Maine Family in Sports Case," May 13, 2003, at www.hslda.org/hs/state/me/200305130.asp.
[21] Institute for Justice, "Institute for Justice Launches School Choice Offensive With Nation's First Choice Lawsuit After U.S. Supreme Court Victory," Web release, September 18, 2002.
[22] American Center for Law and Justice,"ACLJ Files Suit Against Maine Dept. of Education for Discriminating Against Religious Schools by Denying Tuition Payments," October 18, 2002, at www.aclj.org/news/pressreleases/021018_maine_school.asp.
[23] Maine Legislature, 2003 Session, L.D. 182, at http://janus.state.me.us/legis/LawMakerWeb/summary.asp?ID=280008196.

[24] Maine Legislature, 2003 Session, L.D. 1391, at http://janus.state.me.us/legis/LawMakerWeb/dockets.asp?ID=280010056.
[25] Home School Legal Defense Association, "Maine Homeschoolers Pack Hearing Room for LD 160," May 9, 2003, at www.hslda.org/hs/state/me/200305090.asp.
[26] Maine Legislature, 2003, L.D. 756, at http://janus.state.me.us/legis/LawMakerWeb/summary.asp?ID=280008994.
[27] Home School Legal Defense Association, “State Board of Education to Repeal Obsolete Homeschool Regulations,” May 5, 2004.

[28] Keith Edwards, “State Gives Look at Charter Schools,” The Morning Sentinel, January 30, 2004.
[29] Personal communication with Judith Jones, Maine Association of Charter Schools, September 17, 2004.
[30] Eulitt ex rel. Eulitt v. Maine, Dept. of Educ., 2004 WL 2367341 (1st Cir.(Me.) Oct 22, 2004).
[31] Stew Magnuson, “Court Dismisses Challenge to Maine Voucher Restrictions,” Education Daily, October 7, 2004.
[32] Kathleen Kennedy Manzo, “Plaintiffs File Appeal in Maine Voucher Case,” Education Week, October 27, 2004.
[33] Maine Legislature, 122nd Session, L.D. 1640, available at http://janus.state.me.us/legis/ (May 25, 2006).
[34] Maine Association for Charter Schools, “Maine's Legislation,” at www.mainecharterschools.org/Maine's%20Legislation/Maine's%20Legislation.htm (February 19, 2006).
[35] Frank J. Heller, “Maine Islanders Approve Universal School Vouchers,” School Reform News, The Heartland Institute, May 2006, at www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=18919 (May 25, 2006).
[36] Gregory D. Kesich, “School Voucher Limits Upheld,” The Portland Press-Herald, April 27, 2006, at http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/060427ruling.shtml (May 8, 2006).
[37] On the Issues, Baldacci, Education at www.ontheissues.org/House/John_Baldacci.htm#Education. S. 1502, the District of Columbia Student Opportunity Scholarship Act of 1997, sponsored by Senator Daniel Coats, was vetoed on May 20, 1998.