Spending Doesn’t Equate to Satisfaction
After adjusting for inflation, per pupil spending in Maine schools is nearly 70% higher than it was two decades ago. In spite of this increased investment in the state’s education system, the decades-long trend of falling public school enrollment has persisted to the point that 16.7% fewer students are attending public schools today as compared to 2001. Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of Maine students being homeschooled increased by 78% compared to 2019, reaching a total of 12,082 in 2020. This number decreased in 2021 to 8,044 students, but this still represents a 16% increase over 2019 numbers. Despite the fact the 2020-21 school year saw the largest single-year drop in enrollment numbers on record, per-pupil spending in the state nonetheless increased by 5%. Enrollment rebounded slightly during the 2021-22 academic year, but hardly made up for the loss it had just sustained. Although directing more money into Maine’s current public school system has not been successful in improving parental satisfaction, the state appears to be doubling down on this approach.