Tim Nangle: A closer look at school safety and teacher pay in the state budget

By Senator Tim Nangle

As the Legislature wrapped up our work for the session, one of the final things we passed was a supplemental budget that makes a number of targeted investments in areas where we’re seeing real pressure on families across the state.

State Senator Tim Nangle

It’s a budget that does a lot to support stronger communities – from housing to health care to economic stability – but it also makes important investments in our schools, particularly when it comes to student safety and teacher pay.

This session, school transportation safety has been a major focus. That attention followed a series of tragic incidents, including the deaths of 12-year-old Brayden Callahan in Rockland and 5-year-old Simon Gonzalez in Standish, both involving school buses. As Senate chair of the Transportation Committee, I worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to take a closer look at where our current approach was falling short and what changes could make a meaningful difference.

In response, the Transportation Committee advanced a set of policy changes aimed at reducing those risks. These include requiring school buses to be equipped with crossing arms, ensuring buses remain stopped until doors are fully closed and establishing a permanent commission to continue reviewing school transportation safety.

Those proposals received bipartisan support and moved forward quickly. Everyone understood the urgency. What became clear during that process, though, is that policy changes alone don’t automatically translate into safer conditions on the ground.

Many of these safety improvements require equipment upgrades. Without additional funding, those upgrades would be phased in over time as districts replace buses – meaning uneven implementation across the state and a longer timeline to see results.

The supplemental budget addresses that issue by including $5.9 million in one-time funding to more quickly install safety enhancements on school buses statewide, such as crossing arms and anti-pinch door sensors. This approach also helps ensure local property taxpayers aren’t left to cover the full cost of these upgrades on their own.

Safe transportation is one part of the equation, but what happens inside the classroom matters just as much. The budget also includes changes aimed at strengthening the education workforce.

Legislation from my colleague, State Senator Teresa Pierce, to raise the minimum teacher salary was incorporated into the budget. Right now, Maine’s minimum teacher salary is $40,000, a level that has been in place since 2022. At a time when many districts are facing hiring and retention challenges, particularly in rural areas, compensation is a key part of the conversation. I have a family member who is a teacher, so I see firsthand the level of work, preparation and commitment that goes into the job every day.

The budget adopts a phased increase to that minimum salary, raising it to $45,000 in 2027 and then continuing with incremental increases in the following years until it reaches $50,000. The goal is to make teaching a more competitive career option and to help schools recruit and retain staff.

Taken together, these investments reflect the fact that the strength of our schools depends on both the systems we put in place and the people who make them work.  

Ensuring students can get to school safely is one part of that. Making sure there are qualified educators in the classroom is another. Both require not just the policy but the resources to follow through. This budget represents a step in the right direction.

For the latest, follow me on Facebook at facebook.com/SenatorTimNangle, sign up for my e-newsletter at mainesenate.org, or contact me directly at [email protected]. You can also call the Senate Majority Office at 207-287-1515.

The opinions in this column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of The Windham Eagle newspaper ownership or its staff. <