Mills unveils plan for opening public schools, with $165M boost from CARES funding

As Maine school districts prepare for the start of the academic year this fall, Gov. Janet Mills on Friday unveiled new rules, new funding and a "traffic light" to guide the state's educators in the process.

The rules update a previously released plan, which advised Maine schools to anticipate three different scenarios: holding all classes in person, conducting them completely online, and a hybrid model that includes both in-person and online instruction.

The choice of which option to follow is up to each school district. But under the new rules, schools that return to in-classroom instruction must follow health and safety guidelines developed by the Maine Department of Education and Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The requirements include symptom screenings before entering a school building, physical distancing, wearing of face masks, hand washing, teachers wearing personal protective equipment when in close contact with students and staying home if sick.

“We will follow the best available science to support our colleagues at the Maine Department of Education and local school districts as they take steps to educate Maine students safely and effectively,” said Dr. Nirav D. Shah, director of the Maine CDC, in a news release. “Science has guided our planning and response to the pandemic, and it will continue to do so as Maine prepares for a new school year.”

Companies will likely watch any school decisions with keen interest, in determining how to bring their employees back into the office.

Mills said the state will channel $165 million in federal funding to support school systems as they implement the new health and safety protocols. The money will come from emergency relief Maine is receiving under the CARES Act, and the Education Department will notify districts next week about how much they will receive.

The state will also implement a new color-coded system to advise school districts on how to proceed with reopening plans, based on county-level scientific data such as the number of COVID-19 cases and the rate of positive tests.

A “red” signal will suggest that a county has a high risk of COVID-19 spread and that in-person instruction should not be conducted. Categorization as “yellow” means a county has an elevated risk of COVID-19 spread and that hybrid instruction models should be adopted. "Green" suggests a county has a relatively low COVID-19 risk and that in-person instruction can be adopted, although a district may opt for hybrid instruction.

As the pandemic continues and new information about it is received, the Education Department will update the system on its website every two weeks, beginning July 31.

In the release, Mills said, “Like many parents and teachers, I am concerned about the children who are being left behind and the inequities that have been exacerbated by this pandemic. For the sake of Maine children, their futures, and the livelihoods of Maine families, returning to classroom instruction when it is safe to do so must be our shared goal.”