Strengthening Education, Supporting Teachers, and Charting a Brighter Future for Students:
- Fully Funded Education for the First Time in History: Governor Mills fulfilled the State's commitment to schools, municipalities, and teachers by funding 55 percent of K-12 public education for the first time in Maine history since approved by the voters in 2004.
- Made Community College Free: Governor Mills made community college tuition free for high school graduates from the classes of 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, leading to record enrollment three years in a row.
- Overhauled Maine's Student Debt Relief Program: In 2022, Governor Mills proposed -- and the Legislature approved -- a major overhaul of Maine's student loan tax credit to make it more generous and easier to use and to help retain and attract young workers to Maine and encourage those here already to stay. That program has provided more than $140 million in debt relief to Maine people with student loans since its creation three years ago.
- Made Sure No Child Goes Hungry: Governor Mills tackled student hunger by making the School Breakfast and National School Lunch programs available to all Maine students at no cost, making Maine one of the first states in the nation to provide free school meals to all public school children.
- Raised Minimum Teacher Salary: Governor Mills raised the minimum teacher salary to $40,000 per year, the first time the minimum salary had been raised in nearly a decade.
- Added 1,000 Teachers to the Workforce: Governor Mills expedited teacher certification by reducing application turnaround to three weeks, an all-time best and far ahead of the industry standard of around 12 weeks. Thanks to these efforts, there are approximately 1,000 more classroom teachers in Maine and they are earning an average of more than $66,000 per year, nearly $20,000 more than they did before Governor Mills took office.
- Repaired Crumbling Schools: Since 2019, Governor Mills has invested over $1.6 billion, the most of any Administration, and funded 20 major capital construction projects and 387 school renovations to date. She also established the Governor's Commission on School Construction to further combat the problem of crumbling school infrastructure and ensure all Maine students can attend a safe, accessible, healthy school.
- Expanded Early Childhood Education: Governor Mills dedicated $10 million in federal funding through her Jobs Plan to expand the availability and accessibility of Pre-K programs across Maine. Thanks in part to those efforts, Maine has seen a 15 percent increase in Pre-K enrollment since 2018, reaching its highest level of enrollment in the 2024-2025 school year ever.
- Invested in Child Care Infrastructure and the Child Care Workforce: Since Governor Mills has taken office, Maine has invested more than $145 million in state and federal funding to strengthen and expand early care and education options throughout Maine. Maine has created more than 6,100 new slots for child care and provided salary supplements for more than 7,400 child care workers. Maine is also providing child care subsidies directly to more than 4,000 children and 2,600 families statewide.
- Invested in Career and Technical Education: Governor Mills made the first significant investment in Maine's Career and Technical Centers since 1998 so students have access to the technology and tools they need to train for today's economy. Enrollment in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs has increased by 30 percent since 2018 with more students than ever able to participate in hands-on, engaging learning experiences.
- Kept Tuition at the University System Low: Governor Mills provided additional funding to the University of Maine to avoid tuition increases and make it easier for Mainers to access higher education.
- Continued to Expand College Programs for High School Students: Governor Mills has encouraged students to take college classes while still in high school. Enrollment in Maine's Early College Program has grown from 49,000 in 2022 to nearly 60,000 in 2025. Governor Mills has also supported Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs) which provide high school students with community-based learning experiences focused on career exploration. The number of students engaging in ELOs has grown from 1,860 to more than 5,000 in 2025.
- Making our Schools and our Students Safe: Governor Mills created the Maine School Safety Center, which works with schools across the state to provide support, training, technical assistance, and more to keep our schools and our students safe.
- Improving Reading and Math Skills: Governor Mills created Reading and Math plans to improve student performance, provided $10 million to schools for literacy grants, and provided funding to increase pay for school support staff.
- Supporting Adult Learners: Governor Mills has expanded credential programs for adult learners - like people who want to get their commercial drivers licenses or become a certified nursing assistant -- by more than 30 percent since 2021.
- Created and Expanded the Higher Opportunity for Pathways to Employment program: Governor Mills' Administration created the HOPE program which helps Maine parents with low income gain access to education and opportunity. Since launching in January 2020, HOPE has supported hundreds of individuals in building more economically stable futures for themselves and their families.