MSMA claims data refutes the governor's statements

STATE — The Maine School Management Association is again taking issue with remarks made by Governor Paul LePage this summer, when he declared the Maine school system was failing its students who were "looked down upon" when they went to college out-of-state.

According to MSMA, a new analysis by researchers at the Mitchell Institute in Portland proves the governor's claim is false.

In a memo sent to Maine superintendents on September 20, MSMA lists 30 colleges from across the country, a fraction of the 1,800 schools Maine students have attended since 2006.

"The list counters Gov. Paul LePage's claim at a press conference earlier this summer that Maine students were frowned upon by the nation's college admissions offices ... a claim his office never substantiated," the memo reads.

The MSMA based its claim on the Mitchell Institute's analysis of data from the National Student Clearing House Student Tracker that follows the progress of high school graduates in post-secondary education.

According to Lisa Plimpton, research director at the Mitchell Institute, the analysis basically shows stable college enrollment over the last six years.

In 2011, 61 percent of Maine students enrolled in college immediately following graduation, compared to 57 percent in 2006. The number is still lower than the national average, 68 percent.

College enrollment rates in western Maine, including SAD 17, were lower than the state average in 2011 – 56.6 percent – three percentage points lower than  in 2010.

The Institute's report shows a 33.1 percent college graduation rate for Maine students over a five-year period.

The study shows that Maine students also preferred to stay in the state and many attended public institutions – nine of the top 10 most common schools were in Maine.

SAD 17 Superintendent Rick Colpitts says the district has done a remarkable job at increasing the number of students who see college education as an option, but putting every student in a four-year college isn't the high school's intention.

"Our goal is to make sure they have a goal when they leave high school," Colpitts says.

"They need to be able to figure out 'what do I want to do?' After they leave us."

Colpitts disagrees with LePage's assessment of attitudes towards Maine students and thinks the governor would be well-served by visiting more schools to see progress being made. 

Paying for the accelerating cost of college remains an issue, Colpitts admits.

The Oxford Hills Scholarship Foundation provides funding up to $2,000 for students, which is sometimes not enough to pay for books, he says. He acknowledges the district needs to try harder to find ways to help its students afford college.