Maine lawmakers have officially begun submitting bills for the new legislative session scheduled to begin Wednesday, and among these are a number of proposed laws concerning the state’s education system.
These proposed pieces of legislation cover a wide range of subjects, including cursive writing, a new higher education grant program, teachers’ salaries, and public school enrollment for military-connected students.
The Maine Wire breaks down some of the first education bills set to come before lawmakers in the new legislative session.
LD 21 — An Act to Update the Provision of Law Concerning Student Codes of Conduct in Order to Reflect Best Practices Regarding Behavioral Threat Assessment and Response
LD 21 was sponsored by Sen. Joe Rafferty (D-York) and would amend the provision of state law governing the codes of conduct that school boards must adopt concerning students who may pose a threat.
Currently, state law requires school boards to “establish policies and procedures concerning the removal of disruptive or violent students or students threatening death or bodily harm to others from a classroom or a school bus, as well as student disciplinary and placement decisions.”
Under the proposed bill, this language would be replaced with a directive to “identify, assess and intervene with students who may pose a threat of violence to themselves or others within the school community, including policies and procedures regarding student supports, disciplinary actions and placement decisions.”
Click Here to Read the Full Text of LD 21
LD 31 — An Act Regarding School Enrollment for Military-Connected Students
Sponsored by Sen. Brad Farrin (R-Somerset) — and cosponsored by Senate President Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland), Sen. David Haggan (R-Penobscot), and Sen. Trey Stewart (R-Aroostook) — this bipartisan legislation would give superintendents the ability to allow students whose parents are in the military to continue attending their current school for a certain period of time even if they move out of the district.
If the student has a parent currently serving in the military, the student would be allowed to continue his or her education in the school he or she currently attends for as long as desired.
If the student’s parent is not currently serving, those in grades K-8 would be able to finish the current school year, while high school students would be able to stay at their current schools through graduation.
These provisions would be housed under the section of Maine law governing Superintendents’ Agreements, which allow for the superintendents of two public school districts to grant a student permission to enroll in a public school outside their home district.
Click Here to Read the Full Text of LD 31
LD 34 — An Act to Increase the Minimum Salary for Teachers
This bipartisan legislation was sponsored by Sen. Teresa Pierce (D-Cumberland) and cosponsored by Speaker of the House Ryan D. Fecteau (D-Biddeford), Sen. Rick Bennett (R-Oxford), Senate President Daughtry, Sen. Libby, Rafferty, Rep. Michael F. Brennan (D-Portland), Rep. Amy D. Kuhn (D-Falmouth), Rep. Christina R.C. Mitchell (D-Cumberland), and Rep. Kelly Noonan Murphy (D-Scarborough).
Under the proposed bill, the starting salary for teachers in Maine would be increased to $45,000 for the 2026-2027 school year and would continue to rise each year thereafter.
Starting salaries for teachers would go up to $47,500 in the 2027-2028 school year, $50,000 in the 2028-2029 school year, and $52,500 in the 2029-2030 school year. Each following year, the minimum salary would be adjusted for the cost of living.
According to data from the National Education Association, 77 percent of school districts nationwide offer teachers a starting pay below $50,000, while 28.6 percent of teachers start out earning less that $40,000.
The national average teacher’s salary in 2024 was found to be $44,530, a 3.9 percent increase over the previous year.
Click Here to Read the Full Text of LD 34
LD 46 — An Act to Establish a Grant Program to Increase Postsecondary Educational Opportunities for Students with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities or Autism Spectrum Disorder
This Democrat-led bill — which would establish the Inclusive Higher Education Grant Program — was sponsored by Rep. Murphy, and cosponsored by Rafferty, Rep. Janice S. Dodge (D-Belfast), Rep. Lori K. Gramlich (D-Old Orchard Beach), Rep. Kuhn, Rep. Holly T. Sargent (D-York), and Sen. Teresa Pierce (D-Cumberland).
The Inclusive Higher Education Grant Program would “support post secondary education opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities or autism spectrum disorder.”
Using funds from this program, institutions would develop and implement programs that offer students who fall under these categories “the same rights, privileges, experiences, benefits and outcomes in a higher education experience as students without disabilities.”
Those receiving money through this program would need to use at least 25 percent of their funding to provide scholarships to qualifying students.
Beginning on January 1, 2026, institutions participating in this program would need to submit a report every six months. These reports would need to detail their strategies for maintaining the sustainability of their programs, any needs for “training, technical assistance and any other support necessary” for the continuation of their programs, and include internal evaluations of their respective programs that help to identify best practices.
The Maine Department of Education would also be required to submit an annual report on the state’s grant program to the Legislature’s Education Committee beginning on March 1, 2026.
Click Here to Read the Full Text of LD 46
LD 78 — An Act to Require Elementary School Students to Learn Cursive Writing
Rep. Joseph F. Underwood (R-Presque Isle) sponsored a bill that would require “regular instruction in and opportunities to use” cursive writing for elementary school students.
Beginning on July 1, 2026, this law would call for Maine students be taught how to write in cursive no later than third grade and continue to have instruction on the subject through the end of fifth grade.
As a result of this, students would need to be able to “demonstrate competency” in cursive handwriting by the time they finish fifth grade.
According to Education Week, 24 states have laws requiring elementary school students to be taught cursive as of 2024.
Click Here to Read the Full Text of LD 78
how about bills on public edaucation transparency, bills on school based clinics or maybe a bill on boys in girls sports…
Sorry, apparently you haven’t been paying attention. Why raise the pay of teachers when there’s thousands of migrant teachers willing to work for cents on the dollar? You voted for it, enjoy.
Asking school boards how many illegals are in Advanced placement classes? Looking for the STEM students>
Several states have passed the $50,000 level several years ago. Maine is so far behind
in STEM, but not in illegal grow houses
After they learn to write then they can read the constitution. Are you sure you want that?
Teaching grade school students to write in cursive is a good idea. Your signature is your name written in cursive, not printed. We’ve run into problems when our children and grandchildren had to sign legal documents that required a signature, like opening up a bank account.
LD 46 – We need to get diversity, equity and inclusion OUT OF EDUCATION period. There is too much wokeness in our education system in Maine.