LD 1123 provides ongoing state funding to establish two Public Service Coordinator positions within the Maine Department of Education. These coordinators will directly assist public school districts in navigating MaineCare (Maine's Medicaid program) reimbursement processes for student health services. The bill allocates $204,172 for the 2025-26 fiscal year and $283,836 for 2026-27 to cover salaries and operational costs for these roles. The key mechanism is creating dedicated staff to provide technical assistance, streamline billing, and improve schools' ability to receive reimbursements for covered health services. This affects all public school districts in Maine that seek MaineCare reimbursement for student health-related services.
LD 1219 requires the University of Maine System (UMS) campuses to receive state funding at 95% of their peer institution's per-student state funding starting July 1, 2026, and 100% starting July 1, 2027. Peer institutions are defined by UMS trustees and determined using the most recent available data. The bill also raises UMS hourly employee wages to 125% of Maine's state minimum wage, effective July 1, 2025. Funding allocations include $14.37 million for fiscal year 2025-26 and $24.53 million for 2026-27 to support these changes.
Maine LD 2226 amends the state's school funding formula to change how financial support is calculated for public schools and charter schools. The bill introduces a new method for predicting student transportation costs, capping them at 105% of recent actual expenditures adjusted for inflation, and updates the regional cost-of-living adjustment to align with teacher salary matrices. It also modifies funding weights for economically disadvantaged students and raises the special education prevalence threshold from 15% to 17%, while altering how high-cost special education placements are reimbursed. Additionally, the legislation caps certain maintenance of effort adjustments and prohibits midyear funding increases for unexpected out-of-district special education tuition costs.
LD 1705 permanently establishes Maine's Career Advancement and Navigation Program, replacing a temporary pilot, to provide adult education students with academic support, college transition assistance, career planning, and resource referrals through dedicated coordinators at each community college campus. The bill requires the Department of Education to annually assess adult education funding needs, submit detailed reports to the Legislature, and justify any unspent funds. It also mandates biennial stakeholder input from program directors, instructors, professional associations, and students to shape funding priorities and program improvements. This legislation directly affects adult education programs statewide, including workforce development, English language acquisition, and high school equivalency initiatives, by securing 100% state funding for these services.
LD 2017 updates Maine's school nutrition laws by allowing applications for free or reduced-price meals to be submitted directly to the agency that determines student eligibility (not just the school). It preserves existing rules about student access to food, handling meal debt, and prohibiting the use of food as discipline in schools. The bill removes a requirement for an online application system, resulting in a $250,000 reduction in state funding for 2026-27. This change affects students and schools participating in the National School Lunch Program by simplifying the eligibility application process.
This legislative bill authorizes the final adoption of specific rules governing physical restraint and seclusion in Maine schools. The rule was created by the Department of Education's State Board of Education and requires legislative approval before it can take effect. By passing this resolve, the Legislature formally approves the regulations that set standards for how schools may use physical restraint and seclusion with students. The bill includes an emergency clause, allowing it to take effect immediately upon approval rather than waiting the standard 90-day period.
This bill requires Maine public schools to provide at least four hours of de-escalation and behavior intervention training to all teachers, administrators, and education technicians starting in the 2026-2027 school year, with training repeated every three years thereafter. New staff must receive this training within 60 days of hiring beginning in the 2027-2028 school year. The training covers specific topics like positive behavior strategies, communication of student behavior, alternatives to restrictive procedures, and safe use of restraint and seclusion. The Maine Department of Education will maintain a list of approved training programs and experts, and must develop and distribute best practices for the training by September 1, 2026.
This bill prohibits public schools receiving state funding in Maine from allowing students assigned male at birth to participate in athletic programs designated exclusively for females. It directly affects all Maine public schools, including elementary, secondary, and postsecondary institutions, that receive state funds. The key provision requires schools to exclude individuals whose biological sex was assigned male at birth from female-designated sports teams and activities. The law applies regardless of gender identity or current gender expression.
This bill requires Maine public schools and colleges to designate athletic teams, restrooms, changing rooms, and housing based on biological sex. It mandates that athletic teams be labeled "male," "female," or "coed" with females-only teams excluding males, and facilities must be exclusively for males or females (with limited exceptions for maintenance, medical help, or emergencies). Schools must provide single-sex housing options for students and ensure privacy in shared spaces like locker rooms. The law explicitly protects schools from complaints when following these sex-based designations, while allowing accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. It applies to all public elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools in Maine.
This bill prohibits Maine public school districts from adopting policies that allow students to use restrooms designated for the opposite sex based on their gender identity. It directly affects school administrative units (public schools) and students who identify as transgender or gender-diverse. The law amends state statute to require schools to restrict restroom access to facilities designated by the student's sex assigned at birth, rather than their gender identity. The Department of Education must update its rules to align with this requirement. The bill does not address other school facilities or policies beyond restroom designation.
