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It's tax and town meeting season across the state, which means lots of discussion around budgets (both person and municipal) and difficult decisions on what to fund (and what not to).

The conversation around school budgets has become particularly fraught. Costs are rising, buildings are crumbling and students are struggling. And in many towns, most of the money to pay for all of this comes from local governments, where homeowners are stretched thin by an increasing in living costs and rising property values that have left many house rich but cash poor.

While the state covers 55 percent of all "essential programs and services" funding for schools in Maine, most districts receive less than that, according to our analysis of the data provided by the state. Some districts — like the tiny downeast town of Roque Bluffs — get a lot less.

Next year, many districts will get even less: When The Monitor crunched the numbers, we found that preliminary 2025-2026 figures suggest that about 40 percent of Maine’s districts will see their state share decrease next year. 

This week, we're bringing you a deep look into the state and local funding for every school district in Maine, with a searchable database where you can see the breakdown of how much state versus local funding your district received. 

We've also got important stories on offshore wind, a lack of systematic tracking of rape kits and the latest on the dams in Bucksport, among others. 

Thanks for reading,

— Kate

How much state funding does each Maine school district get?

As lawmakers review the school funding formula, officials say the model is inadequate.

Read this story by Kristian Moravec

Maine doesn’t have a statewide system to track rape kits. Lawmakers are considering a bill to change that: The legislation builds on initiatives to track kits and address backlogs in Cumberland, Kennebec and Penobscot counties. Read this story by Adrienne Washington

Hancock County reps push for bill that would help transfer abandoned dams to towns: Officials have said delays in enactment could result in the drainage of three lakes through the state’s abandonment statute. A separate bill would bolster Maine’s authority in overseeing that process. Read this story by Emmett Gartner

Offshore wind developer puts power contract talks on hold: Pine Tree Offshore Wind cites “recent shifts in the energy landscape." Read this story by Tux Turkel and Kate Cough

A county employee was placed on leave after her dog allegedly bit someone at the office. Now she’s suing: The complaint fits into broader concerns about Franklin County’s workplace culture, which one commissioner called “the elephant in the room.” Read this story by Ben Hanstein

Sen. King fumes at Trump Administration for leaving climate change out of national security threat report: For more than a decade, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence included the mounting impacts of climate change in its annual reports on threats to national security. Read this story by Chris D'Angelo

Child care providers across the state cited for numerous safety violations

(Published in 2024)

A Monitor/CPI analysis of thousands of inspection records found years of safety violations at child care providers across the state.

Read this story by Alexa Foust and Kate Hapgood

Have feedback or a correction to send to Kate Cough? Send it to her directly via email: kate@themainemonitor.org. 

Know of a story that we should be digging into? Send it to our newsroom. 

The Maine Monitor is a publication of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, an independent and nonpartisan nonprofit news organization. We believe news is a public good and keep our news free to access. We have no paywall and do not charge for our newsletters. If you value the reporting we do for Maine, please consider making a donation! We cannot do this reporting without your support.

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