Sasha Anastasoff, left, the Auburn School Department’s homeless liaison, talks with a student in December 2022 about plans to attend college. Daryn Slover/Portland Press Herald

Maine school superintendents are concerned that the potential loss of hundreds of millions in federal funding would require cuts to critical services like math and reading intervention, as well as support for homeless students and those with disabilities.

The announcement from the Department of Education on Friday that it is starting the process of halting all federal dollars going to Maine schools follows a monthslong battle between President Donald Trump and Gov. Janet Mills over the participation of transgender athletes in high school sports, which Maine allows.

The Office of the Maine Attorney General said in a letter that it would not sign an agreement proposed by the Trump administration to comply with its interpretation of Title IX and described the situation as an “impasse.” Within an hour, the Department of Education announced that it was referring Maine to the Department of Justice over its “noncompliance” and said it was initiating plans to revoke all of the state’s K-12 funding.

That number amounted to around $250 million this year. Two of the largest sources of federal funding for schools are Title I, which supports economically disadvantaged students, and the Individuals with Disabilities Act or IDEA, which provides funding for students with disabilities.

Superintendents across Maine said this week that the loss of that money would be felt by the students most in need of support services and the staff that work with them. In many cases, federal funds cover the cost of staff positions in early literacy, intervention and special education.

FUNDING THE ‘MOST VULNERABLE LEARNERS’

Lewiston Public Schools receives the greatest amount of Title I funding out of any other school district in Maine — more than $3.5 million annually — and also gets $1.6 million through IDEA. Superintendent Jake Langlais said Lewiston uses Title funds to improve literacy and math skills, which happens both in the classroom and through interventionists who work with students on specific skills. And, he said, if there are any changes to those funds at the federal level, it will mean reductions in those efforts.

“Locally, there are no funds allocated to maintain the efforts currently supported by federal funds,” Langlais said. “Lewiston property taxpayers already do so much to support education. We cannot add the expenses paid by federal dollars to our local budget.”

Lewiston Public Schools Superintendent Jake Langlais addresses community members during a discussion on gun violence at Lewiston Middle School on Feb. 27. Daryn Slover/Portland Press Herald

In neighboring Auburn, Superintendent Sue Dorris said federal funding is vital, especially for those who depend the most on school-based services.

“Areas such as academic intervention, special education, professional development, multilingual learner programs, and support for students experiencing homelessness would all be deeply affected,” Dorris said.

Auburn gets $1.25 million annually though Title I and another $1 million through IDEA. Dorris said Title I funding supports the district’s McKinney-Vento liaison, who oversees support for homeless students, and IDEA covers everything from special equipment to social work services to out-of-district tuition for students with special needs.

“Without this funding, our ability to meet federally mandated services and ensure appropriate support for our most vulnerable learners would be severely compromised,” she said. She said her district is monitoring the situation closely and hoping it gets resolved without any disruption to districts.

It still isn’t clear how soon the federal money could be frozen. In a separate case involving Maine and Title IX, a judge ruled Friday that the USDA improperly cut off federal funding to the state and ordered the agency to restore it. And last month, the USDA froze around $56 million in funding to the University of Maine System before quickly reversing course.

The Department of Education did not respond to questions about the exact nature of the process the federal government plans to use to revoke funding. Instead, a department spokesperson pointed to the Friday statement, which described it as “an administrative proceeding to adjudicate termination” of the state’s federal K-12 funding, which would include both “formula and discretionary grants.” It’s unclear how quickly the proceeding would begin.

A ‘TREMENDOUSLY NEGATIVE IMPACT’

The Bonny Eagle School Department, based in Buxton, receives more than $1.5 million in federal funding. Superintendent Clay Gleason said any loss of those dollars would have a negative impact on both students and staff.

“It would be unfortunate if this were to happen because students who would be impacted have nothing to do with the dispute that is leading to the potential withholding of funds, as far as I can tell,” Gleason said. “It is my hope it won’t come to this.”

Clay Gleason, Bonny Eagle superintendent, in a classroom at Buxton Elementary School in August 2022. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald

Augusta School District Superintendent Michael Tracy said his district receives nearly $3 million each year in federal funding to support early literacy, math and special education costs.

“Much of this support is provided through staffing, particularly educational technicians,” Tracy said in an email. “Approximately 30+ positions would be affected by cuts to these federally funded positions, which would have a tremendously negative impact on students.”

Deborah Alden, superintendent of Rumford-based RSU 10, also said many positions in her district are supported by more than $1 million through Title I and $650,000 through IDEA.

Alden said Title funding supports all of the district’s intervention staff and math and literacy coaches, and accounts for at least four staff members in each elementary and middle school.

“It also provides for nearly all of our professional development monies to support staff with implementing new programs especially in the areas of literacy and math,” she said.

And she said IDEA funding covers some ed techs, out-of-district tuition costs, supplies and contracts with therapists.

“IDEA funding is especially important in our district where nearly 24% of all incoming kindergarten students are identified with special needs,” she said.

Kennebec Journal Staff Writer Emily Duggan contributed to this report.