Education

LD 660 requires Maine public school administrative units to post detailed curriculum and student data online for public access. It mandates schools to display 3 years of enrollment, subject offerings, and state assessment proficiency data on their websites, while prohibiting curriculum decisions based on student characteristics like race, gender, or disability. The bill also requires full transparency for state-funded professional development, including public posting of materials, schedules, attendance records, and costs for third-party contractors. This directly affects all Maine public schools, their administrative units, and the state education department, which must maintain centralized online portals for all curriculum materials and related expenses.

LD 1881 ensures parents of minor children in Maine schools have specific rights regarding their child's education and well-being. It requires schools to provide parents access to all school activity information, health records, instructional materials (including virtual learning content), and health screening forms before they are given to students. Parents may also refuse their child’s participation in non-educational activities or request alternatives, while schools cannot adopt policies that block parental notification about a student’s health or discourage parental involvement in critical decisions. The bill includes an exception allowing schools to withhold information if disclosure would risk child abuse, neglect, or abandonment.

This bill requires Maine school boards to update their student codes of conduct to include specific policies for identifying, assessing, and responding to students who may pose a threat of violence to themselves or others. It mandates procedures covering interventions, student supports, disciplinary actions, and placement decisions - including removal from classrooms or school buses - when appropriate. The changes align school practices with current best practices in behavioral threat assessment and response. School boards are directly affected, as they must adopt these updated policies by law.