PARIS — In response to Oxford Hills School Board’s concerns about failings in Maine’s school funding formula, State Senator Rick Bennett (District 18) and State Representative Sawin Millett (House District 81) attended its meeting Monday to share information and start a conversation on ways to reform state allocations to school districts.

The two appeared at the request of Board Chair Judy Green of Waterford and Director Troy Ripley of Paris, who has made a point during this spring’s budget season of alerting the community about how the disparities are harming Oxford Hills and putting burdens on taxpayers that most school districts do not have to absorb. Green and Ripley recently traveled to Augusta to provide education officials and lawmakers feedback on the formula’s short comings.

Maine School Administrative District 17’s budget for 2023-24, which appears on next Tuesday’s local election ballot, is $47.4 million dollars, $8.2 million more than the Maine Department of Education’s projected need of $39.4 million.

The DOE’s formula is largely based on assessments from families who qualify for free school lunches. However, SAD 17 provides free lunch to all students, which has resulted in a low application rate for the program. With far fewer applications counted, Oxford Hills’ allocation was reduced, resulting in less funding from Augusta. One effect has been that special education costs are not being adequately subsidized.

State Sen. Rick Bennett of Oxford (left) and State Rep. Sawin Millett of Waterford attending SAD 17’s school board meeting Monday to share information about state education funding formulas and the potential for reform. Nicole Carter / Advertiser Democrat

As noted in earlier board meetings, other issues result in SAD 17 receiving disproportionately less than it needs to operate; it has the largest geographic bus route in the state, covering about 250,000 miles during the academic year. Budget formulas do not consider bussing or transportation expenses.

“Rep. Millett and I are very interested in hearing [SAD 17’s] experience with Maine’s school funding formula,” Bennett told the board. “The formula is complex, it defies comprehension and it is confounding. And this district is not the only I have heard has issues relating to it.

“I know that mandates that are unfunded are also difficult for school districts to deal with. I hope to hear details about how unfunded mandates are affecting our district.”

Bennett said that there have been no reform bills introduced to the legislature during the current term and it is unlikely that any can be before the session is set to end on June 21, noting that a proposal that would mandate increased pay for education techs and other employees is under consideration and may ultimately go to lawmakers to vote on.

“The school funding formula functions with data collected through the lunch program, where people have qualified by their level of need,” Bennett acknowledged. “And the advent of free meals for everyone, parents are no longer disclosing their information. It has had the effect of making a district like ours seem more well-to-do than it is. There is some discussion in the legislature but there is not currently a concerted effort to fix it.”

He went on to say that there is a related study underway in Augusta and that more input from SAD 17 would be helpful for local law makers to bring about reform to the education funding formula.

Millett said that one bill has been introduced to fund a study that looks at the equity in the essential programs and services (EPS) and another bill to study the school funding process with no reference to EPS.

“The studies will address transportation and special education,” Millett confirmed. “They will also look at what they call a ‘regional hardship.’ Looking at the rural areas in particular and a socio-economic adjustment to make [the formula] more equitable to what you have today.”

He told directors that the studies are likely to be combined and the next step is to establish the cost to conduct before the session is adjourned for summer, with the DOE expected to come up with reform recommendations by next year.

“It would not give immediate help,” Millett said. “But it could potentially affect fiscal year 2025, the second year of our biennium, with formula changes. If they can come up with some clear guidance.”

Following the two lawmakers’ address to the board, Director Troy Ripley requested that a workshop be scheduled for directors to itemize needs and concerns, and then have a second session with Bennett and Millett about education formula reform.

“I am extremely pleased that Senator Bennett and Representative Millet accepted our invitation to meet in person with the Board. It is the first step in what we hope to be a results-producing approach to addressing the needs of our district,” Ripley told the Advertiser in a statement Tuesday morning. “I am confident Heather and her administration are already in the process of putting together a workshop with detailed problem identification, and possible solution[s], for our next meeting with them.

“We have also talked about inviting the Chairs of the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs to a future meeting because one thing Judy and I noticed in our visit was few, if any, of the Committee members are from rural districts.”

In other business, Oxford Hills Middle School Principal Jess McGreevy reported that student attendance has improved during the 2022-23 school year. Last year the school saw a rate of chronic absenteeism of 54% but has dropped to 39% this year. She also told directors that there were three interventions involving physical aggression, and 50 involving tobacco and vaping. She said that there have been four reported instances involving drugs, an increase of three over the previous year.

High School Principal Paul Bickford said that the graduation rate for the Class of 2023 is 95.7%, and should increase a bit more after some students complete summer school classes. He credited the school’s guidance counselors and social workers for making such a success rate possible. In previous years graduation rates have been around 80%.

Jeni Jordan, OHCHS teacher and president of the Oxford Education Association, addressed the board to thank Superintendent Heather Manchester for her open door policy, as well as her commitment to finding solutions and improving culture and morale in the district.