A Telegram investigation following a recent criminal case reveals how inadequate Maine’s system is in ensuring that teachers are properly certified or that mandatory background checks have been done.

In August, local officials discovered that a budgeting error made in 2015 left the district with a shortfall of about $700,000 this year.

While many steps remain, 60 local voters supported buying the land in a straw poll, another move toward replacing the more than 100-year-old school currently in use.