Maine’s public schools are seeing their worst test scores in 30 years, with student performance in reading and math ranking among the lowest in the nation.
According to the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics, only 33% of fourth graders are proficient in math, while just 26% meet reading standards. Older students fare even worse, with only 25% proficient in math and 26% in reading, placing Maine 38th nationwide.
The decline comes as schools prioritize the children of illegal migrants, a group welcomed by the state’s politicians and employers, according to Brietbart.
Maine spends approximately $15,000 per student—over $1,000 above the national average—yet its schools are struggling with an influx of non-English-speaking students.
The Democrat-led state has embraced sanctuary policies, contributing to a surge of mostly illegal migrants, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). Over the past decade, the number of students with limited English proficiency has skyrocketed.
In Portland, 70% of new enrollees require special language instruction before tackling other subjects. Schools are diverting funds to hire multilingual staff, with classrooms now accommodating speakers of 57 different languages.
The Brietbart article says that education budgets are soaring nationwide as schools absorb a surge of migrant children under the Biden administration.
Like Maine, states across the country are redirecting funds to accommodate these students. In Pennsylvania, the number of English Language Learner (ELL) students jumped 40% from 71,766 in 2020 to 99,889 in 2024.
Meanwhile, academic performance is declining. Data from the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CASPP) shows migrant students struggling, with only 24% meeting English standards, 15.8% proficient in math, and just 11.7% in science—figures that have remained largely stagnant.
