Students walk the halls between classes at Scarborough Middle School on April 3. Voters rejected a $160 million bond to renovate the town’s aging and overcrowded schools last year. Now, the governor has created a commission to study how Maine pays for major school projects like this. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer
Maine is full of aging school buildings that are overcrowded and often fail to meet modern standards. But when plans to build a new school or do major renovations come up for a bond vote, they’re often rejected by voters, leaving the community with few other ways to update their facilities.
Gov. Janet Mills signed an executive order on Friday establishing a statewide commission that will study the state’s system for funding school renovation and construction projects for the first time since 1998.
“Every child in Maine should be able to attend a safe, modern, efficient and accessible public school – regardless of the community in which they live,” Mills said in a statement Friday. “It’s time for a new look at how Maine pays for school construction.”
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Mills’ order creates the Commission on School Construction, a group of state leaders and educators tasked with assessing the system for financing school infrastructure projects. The 13-member commission’s job is to identify statewide construction needs, study how other states fund similar projects and recommend statewide policy changes in a report that it must complete by April 15.
Former Maine Department of Labor Commissioner Valerie Landry will head the group. According to a statement from the governor’s office, the commission is modeled after a bill that was proposed, but did not pass, in the Legislature last spring. Other members will include several state commissioners, three school superintendents and representatives from the construction industry, the state’s bond bank and educational associations.
That includes Steven Bailey, executive director of the Maine School Boards Association, a statewide nonprofit that advocates for the policy interests of school boards.
“Maine schools are woefully behind in being able to be taken care of in terms of their physical structures,” Bailey said. “So this is a great first step.”
Bailey said he has traveled the state for his work, observing schools with overly compact wooden rooms, buildings with insufficient heat and ventilation systems, and schools lacking modern windows. He hopes the commission helps keep momentum on the issue, which he described as urgent.
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More than 500 active Maine schools were built before the 1990s, and 243 of them were built before the 1960s, Eileen King, the executive director of the Maine School Superintendents Association, said in a prepared statement.
“This data demonstrates the urgent need to fund school construction in a manner that will provide our students with healthy and safe learning environments that will meet the learning needs of today’s students and can offer equitable access to resources while serving as central hubs for communities,” King said.
The most direct path for building a new school is through a bond, voted on by local taxpayers. But it’s not uncommon for communities to reject a bond, like the Cape Elizabeth and Cumberland-North Yarmouth districts did in 2022 when voters called those measures too expensive.
The only other route is a state grant, awarded every five years out of a pool of roughly $150 million. In the last cycle, just nine out of 74 applicants were given funding. For smaller projects, there are loans available from the state, but in 2023 just a quarter of applicants were approved.
The governor’s office said Fridaythat despite investments in education infrastructure, construction needs are still much higher than the state can afford.
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“Available funding continues to outpace construction and renovation needs and Maine’s aging school infrastructure is expected to require additional investment in the years ahead,” the governor said in her statement.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine Democrat Graham Platner has picked up another high-profile endorsement in his bid to flip a key Senate seat blue, marking another sign of the oyster farmer and combat veteran’s political resiliency even as he continues to face controversy throughout his campaign.
Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego announced Monday that he was backing Platner, saying that the first-time candidate “reflects the grit and independence that defines Maine.”
“Graham Platner is the kind of fighter Maine hasn’t seen in a long time, someone who tells you exactly what he thinks, doesn’t owe anything to the special interests, and wakes up every day thinking about working families,” said Gallego, who won a Senate seat in Arizona in 2024 by more than 2 points while Trump carried the state by nearly 6 points.
Platner has previously been endorsed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, and New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, a Democrat.
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However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has endorsed Platner’s main opponent, Maine Gov. Janet Mills.
Both Platner, 41, and Mills, 78, are hoping to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins, 73, a five-term incumbent who announced last month that she was running for another term. A victory in Maine is crucial for Democrats’ efforts to take back control of the Senate. The Democratic Party needs to net four seats to retake the Senate majority, and they are aiming to do that in Maine, North Carolina, Alaska and Ohio.
READ MORE: Maine’s Graham Platner thinks voters will overlook his past to support a new type of candidate
Platner has gained traction with his anti-establishment image and economic equality message. He’s pressed forward despite controversies over old social media posts and a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, which he recently had covered up.
Gallego is among the Democrats named as possible 2028 presidential contenders. Last fall, he stumped in New Jersey, Virginia and Florida, where he campaigned for Democrats who went on to win their elections.
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“I have an immense amount of respect for him and I’m looking forward to joining him as a fellow Marine and combat infantryman in the U.S. Senate,” Platner said in a statement.
Kruesi reported from Providence, Rhode Island.
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On March 2, Spurwink will join community partners for a special viewing of Building Hope: Ending Homelessness in Maine at the University of Southern Maine’s McGoldrick Hall.
Directed by Richard Kane and produced by Melody Lewis-Kane, the film shines a compassionate light on the realities of Maine’s homelessness crisis. Through deeply personal stories, Building Hope explores the challenges faced by unhoused individuals and families, while highlighting the hope that emerges when communities come together to create solutions. It’s been praised for its honesty, dignity, and inspiring message: change is possible when we work together.
Following the screening, a panel of local leaders and advocates will discuss the film and the ongoing effort in Maine to end homelessness. Panelists will include Katherine Rodney, Director of Spurwink’s Living Room Crisis Center; Cullen Ryan, Chief Strategic Officer at 3Rivers; Donna Wampole, Assistant Professor of Social Work at USM; and Preble Street staff. Catherine Ryder, Spurwink’s Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, will bring her expertise in trauma-informed care and community collaboration to the panel as the moderator.
Keon Johnson had 21 points and 10 rebounds as the Maine Celtics defeated the Windy City Bulls 122-87 in an NBA G League game on Sunday afternoon at the Portland Expo.
Hason Ward scored 16 points and Jalen Bridges 14 for Maine (13-15), which had seven players score in double digits. Bridges drained four 3-pointers for the Celtics, who shot 13 for 28 (46.4%) from beyond the arc.
Max Shulga dished out 11 assists and scored nine points.
Maine led 33-18 after one quarter 72-36 at halftime.
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Keyshawn Bryant scored a game-high 25 points for Windy City (12-12).
