Maine

Existing Programs:

Town Tuitioning Program — 1873
Gives vouchers to children in small towns without a public school to attend a nearby private school or a public school in another town.

Legislature Status:

Adjourned; bills carry over to next session.

Pending Legislation:

None.

Breakdown:

Maine’s town tuitioning program, like Vermont’s, was established because certain small towns lack public schools. In 1981, the state barred religious schools from receiving vouchers; religious schools legally challenged the law, but the courts have upheld it to this day.

Governor Paul LePage, a tea party conservative, is an outspoken advocate of school choice, and recently proposed private and religious school vouchers both in his biennial budget and in separate legislation. The Democrat-controlled legislature struck down both attempts.

Get more information on ALEC education bills introduced in Maine in 2013:

• Alternative Certification Act (SP 461)
• The Next Generation Charter Schools Act (HP 967)
• The Virtual Public Schools Act (HP 331, SP 391)

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