Maine’s solely public magnet faculty is ‘on the restrict’ of its funds
LIMESTONE, Maine — A Legislative invoice proposing common finances will increase for Maine’s solely public magnet highschool is unlikely to cross this 12 months, forcing the varsity to discover new methods to generate income.
In February, Sen. Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, proposed amending LD 2118, the invoice that appropriates funds for Maine College of Science and Arithmetic, to allocate $750,000 extra in funding for administrative operations and one other $250,000 to extend pupil monetary help. This could have been along with the varsity’s $3.6 million from the state’s supplemental finances, an quantity that has been flat funded since 2017.
MSSM directors argued that the varsity wants extra funds to keep away from workers cuts and proceed offering high-level tutorial packages for its college students.
“We’re on the restrict of what we will responsibly spend with out making cuts,” mentioned Rob Constantine, the varsity’s government director.
Earlier this month, the Senate handed an amended model of LD 2118 that will have given MSSM $475,000 in extra funds for the 2024-25 fiscal 12 months, after which ongoing funding of $650,000 yearly to complement the state’s $3.6 million.
The Senate despatched the invoice to the Home for a vote simply earlier than the Home adjourned final week. The Home didn’t act on the invoice, leaving it nonetheless “alive” however not prone to cross this 12 months, mentioned Christine Kirby, a spokesperson for Jackson.
The Home can solely vote on the invoice if it convenes a particular session earlier than the 132nd Legislature is sworn on this December. However that will require Gov. Janet Mills to name for a particular session or for Democrats and Republicans in every chamber to agree on holding one, Kirby mentioned.
“[Jackson] wish to see a rise in funding for MSSM included within the state’s finances,” Kirby mentioned. “He believes {that a} magnet faculty with STEM emphasis is a helpful asset to our state [that] advantages college students and our workforce and economic system.”
Not like colleges inside native districts, MSSM doesn’t obtain its funds from the Maine Division of Schooling’s subsidy system, which elements in native tax valuation. All funds come from the state’s Basic Objective Help finances, which allocates cash towards specialty colleges and packages.
The brand new model of LD 2118 stalled one 12 months after Jackson proposed a invoice that would have elevated MSSM’s state allocation by $2 million. As an alternative, Mills signed that invoice, LD 1458, with solely a one-time allocation of $500,000 for the varsity’s 2024-25 fiscal 12 months.
Meaning MSSM should have a look at alternative routes to extend each its income and funding streams, together with by means of elevated enrollment, Constantine mentioned.
In March, MSSM’s board of trustees handed a $5.7 million finances for 2024-25 that took under consideration the state’s normal $3.6 million contribution and the $500,000 allocation, however ready the varsity in case LD 2118 didn’t cross as amended.
On Friday, the trustees accredited utilizing $100,000 of the $500,000 to pay for the wage and advantages of a brand new director of enrollment administration. They accredited the hiring of Santiago Durango, who will begin July 1.
Durango will probably be coming from Fountain Valley College, a school prep faculty in Colorado, the place he’s at the moment affiliate admissions director. He has six years of expertise in highschool and school admissions, Constantine mentioned.
MSSM’s income from out-of-state and worldwide college students, who pay the total $34,300 for tuition and room and board, started declining through the pandemic. Maine college students solely pay room and board prices, that are growing from $10,300 to $10,600 this fall.
Total enrollment started declining in 2020 from round 120 to 130 to only above 100. At present there are 103 college students, with an identical projection for 2024-25.
Constantine and colleagues are hoping that Durango’s place will assist them entice extra college students, particularly these from out of state and different international locations, as the varsity goals to start issuing visas for worldwide college students in 2025.
If Durango’s efforts show profitable, the trustees will combine his place into MSSM’s common finances, Constantine mentioned.
“We need to put money into our admissions efforts to verify we enhance our Maine enrollment but in addition look outdoors of Maine,” Constantine mentioned.
The trustees additionally accredited a first-ever proposal to make MSSM’s state appropriation a part of the Maine Division of Schooling’s biennial finances.
The proposal, which nonetheless wants DOE approval, retains the DOE’s appropriation at $3,615,347 this coming fiscal 12 months however suggests growing it to $3,863,807 in 2025-26 and to $3,979,722 in 2026-27.
Dave King, chair of the trustees’ finance and amenities committee, mentioned that being a part of the DOE’s finances could be a historic and perfect manner for MSSM to generate ongoing funding.
“We’ve tried different strategies. We’ve gone to the Legislature, however all it’s gotten us is one-time allocations. These are nice, however they don’t do lots for our future,” King mentioned.
