Lawmakers decry school funding inequity

AUGUSTA – Legislators from rural constituencies have banded together in an attempt to force either changes or a delay of the state’s new education funding formula.

The more than 40 members of the Save Our Small Rural Schools Coalition have come out in support of legislation aimed at ensuring that state support of education through the Essential Programs and Services, or EPS, formula is distributed in a fair and equal manner. The bill will be addressed by the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee in the coming weeks.

EPS was approved by the Legislature two years ago and implemented by the Department of Education in January. The formula was designed to define what individual school districts need to spend on educational programs to meet Maine Learning Results.

However, because the EPS model is based in part on enrollment, critics from rural districts contend that it shortchanges their schools. The critics also complain that the transportation component of EPS favors dense, urban schools at the expense of far-ranging country districts.

“I humbly suggest the concept is very flawed,” Rep. Barbara Merrill, D-Appleton, said at a State House rally Tuesday. “It’s a job that can’t be done the way they are doing it.”

Merrill said the one-size-fits-all EPS model failed to contrast the differing educational needs of small, rural schools when matched against large urban districts. As an example, Merrill asked her audience to consider creating a single retail sales template for commercial entities ranging from Wal-Mart to a mom-and-pop store. While such a concept would be laughable, Merrill said, she suggested that EPS attempted to do just that with educational funding.

Steve Pagels, school board chairman of SAD 37 in Milbridge, predicted that Washington County school districts would be decimated if EPS were allowed to go unchanged. Pagels said the state may expect communities to consolidate schools because of the lack of funding, but it was unlikely that would happen. Instead, he said, the communities would end up investing less money in the schools.

“When push comes to shove we will keep our schools but will have less money,” said Pagels. “This is a travesty of monumental proportions.” He added that the selectmen, school boards and school superintendents “feel like they’ve been had with this EPS.”

Rep. Peter Mills, R-Cornville, said the problem with EPS was compounded when the Legislature included the full cost of special education within the funding formula. As a result, he said, wealthier districts that had been paying a large portion of their special education costs reaped a windfall under EPS.

“It’s all picked up by the state regardless of how well off a district is” and “without regard to a district’s ability to pay,” said Mills. “It’s flooded some of our most favored communities with so much money many don’t know what to do with it.”

Sen. Kevin Raye, R-Perry, also defined EPS as a “flawed formula.” Raye said the model appeared to view Maine as an urban state instead of rural. He said Maine children deserved a quality education no matter where they call home. Raye said the formula failed to take into consideration that it costs more to educate children from rural communities.

“The children of Maine deserve a solid education no matter where they live,” said Raye. “While we are not a one-size-fits-all state, we are one state.”

Merrill urged rural communities to ask every legislator whether they were prepared to “support a budget which penalizes people just because they live in rural Maine.” Merrill reminded the group that the school funding bill would not become law until 90 days after the Legislature adjourns. She suggested that the public take measures to stop the law if the Legislature failed to act.

“The reason our constitution requires that 90 days is so if we citizens don’t like what the Legislature has done, we can go out and collect signatures to nullify the law,” said Merrill.