Conclusion
The findings of this report present a clear and unavoidable truth: if Maine’s noncharter public schools were held to the same standards as its charter schools, a staggering number would fail to meet compliance—and many would face closure. Our analysis found that most noncharter public schools would be failing at least one standard, and a significant percent would be at risk of being shut down.
Over one-third fail two standards, and 14%—or nearly one-in-seven schools—fail three or more. These are not minor bureaucratic foot faults. In the case of Harpswell Coastal Academy, it was precisely three standard failures—chronic absenteeism, financial instability, and student academic stagnation—that triggered its nonrenewal and subsequent closure.
This data-driven comparison reveals that the existing regulatory framework is fundamentally imbalanced. Charter schools are routinely penalized for issues that, if measured consistently across all schools, would implicate a massive segment of the traditional public school system. In many cases, charter schools outperform their district counterparts, particularly when adjusted for per-pupil spending. Despite serving disproportionately higher numbers of students with learning disabilities, behavioral issues, and economic hardship, as well as much lower spending, charters demonstrate relatively good outcomes in English Language Arts, Science, campus safety, and fiscal efficiency.
If the state’s goal is truly to ensure high educational standards, equitable access, and responsible public spending, then Maine cannot continue applying a double standard. Either the standards being used are unfair and should be revised for all charter schools, or they are valuable tools for measuring school effectiveness regardless of school type and should be applied universally. What Maine cannot justify is punishing charter schools for failing to meet benchmarks on which noncharter public schools are not asked to report and couldn’t meet if held to the same standard.
Furthermore, the arbitrary cap of 10 charter schools is not just outdated—it is actively harmful. Charter schools have proven their value in Maine, especially for high-need populations, and the demand continues to grow. Meanwhile, the state’s traditional public school system, still recovering from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and suffering from persistent declining performance, lacks the dynamism and flexibility that charters offer.
Charter schools in Maine are not perfect, but they are held to a much higher standard—and still outperform their counterparts in many areas. If state policymakers truly value innovation, equity, and student-centered outcomes, they must recalibrate Maine’s charter school policies. The choice is stark: either lift the burden off the shoulders of charter schools or apply it evenly across the board. Maintaining the current system is not only unjust—it is unsustainable.