Currently, public Pre-K in Maine is available for 4-year-olds in approximately 86% of school administrative units or SAUs. While the cognitive and social-emotional benefits of high-quality Pre-K are well documented, there are a variety of factors that contribute to whether school systems offer public Pre-K and the extent to which they are able to enroll all eligible and interested 4-year-olds.
Below are visual representations of current public Pre-K data in Maine. Each data set offers a brief description.
Additionally, every year the Department of Education asks school administrative units (SAUs) to complete an annual Pre-K survey. This survey helps the Maine DOE to update data related to Public Pre-K. Updated data from 2022-23 can be accessed here. Data from 2023-2024 can be accessed here.
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Over the last ten years there has been a steady increase in public Pre-K enrollment. Currently public schools in Maine serve approximately 57% of 4-year-olds in public Pre-K. This is calculated by dividing the Pre-K enrollment by the kindergarten enrollment.
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As of the current school year (2024-2025), approximately 91% of SAUs offer a public Pre-K option for their communities. Of those 174 SAUs, 48% report universal enrollment in Pre-K.
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The percentage of SAUs that offer full day/full week programming has increased by 7% from 2021-2022 to 2023-2024.
The map below identifies the towns in Maine that have access to a public Pre-K program. The colors indicate the county in which the town is located. Click on the image to search for a specific town, county, or SAU. Clicking on a colored pin will bring up the name of the SAU and provide a contact phone number.
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Contact
Nicole Madore
Early Childhood Specialist
Office of Innovation
Phone: 207-446-3967
Email: Nicole.Madore@maine.gov