Maine educators, policymakers gather for citizens’ assembly to shape education policies

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - A two-day citizens’ assembly in Bangor drew 64 delegates from all counties of Maine together to focus on the future of education across the state. This comes as rising costs of living continue to impact Maine families.

The Maine Citizens’ Assembly on Education Priorities saw representation from educators, Maine policymakers, and students from across the state. The assembly was organized by the Center for Education Policy, Applied Research, and Evaluation at the University of Southern Maine.

Panelists say it’s a great opportunity for stakeholders to hear the perspective of everyday Maine citizens.

“We are definitely facing some challenges, such as rising costs, staffing shortages, there is always a tension between federal, state, and local control, and then also curriculum and Maine learning results,” said Maine Education Association President Jesse Hargrove.

According to a recent national report released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the non-profit’s annual Kids Count Data Book showed national test scores in Maine dropped by 88 points in the last seven years. Data from 2024 showed the state’s overall education score fell by 224 points, the second largest decline in the nation.

“The populations have really dipped especially in the rural areas. It makes sense with the cost-of-living increases across the state. Money just isn’t there. I hope that down the road, we can reverse the negative test scores that have been dipping since the 90s,” said State Senator David Haggan.

Panels at the assembly discussed ideas of school district consolidation as well as education governance’s role across the state.

“There are a lot of laws that come down from the federal and state level, but we also regard ourselves as a local control state. There’s a sense that the voice of the parents is lost in that level of governance and bureaucracy. At the same time, we have declining performance across schools in Maine,” said State Representative Daniel Sayre.

“There’s also concerns about how do we deliver on the best education possible for our students, and what does that look like? Valuing career and technical education, while also making sure our students are college and career ready,” said Hargrove.

Student delegates say it was an opportunity to learn from a variety of perspectives before delegates will vote by supermajority on recommendations before they take it to state lawmakers.

“Some people are talking about, oh, we should be teaching kids more English or math, and I’m hearing other sides where they say, ‘we should be going away from that to focus more on schools,” said high school student Ethan Halfacre.

“It’s great seeing students participate in this event. I firmly believe our schools for many of our communities are our anchor, and what brings people together, so when we invest in our schools we invest in our communities,” said Hargrove.