Education Committee gives strong, bipartisan support to Sen. Grohoski bill to improve Maine Maritime Academy funding

AUGUSTA — On Wednesday, the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee gave strong, bipartisan support to a bill from Sen. Nicole Grohoski, D-Ellsworth. An amended version of LD 2092, “An Act to Equalize Funding for the Maine Maritime Academy,” received a vote of 12-1. 

“Maine Maritime Academy is a distinguished institution that has been a pillar of Downeast Maine for many years. It is renowned for providing high-quality education and training to its students, many of whom go on to work in the maritime industry and related fields,” said Sen. Grohoski. “MMA’s importance to my region may only be overshadowed by its importance to our entire state, which faces workforce shortages across several important sectors that MMA graduates are qualified to fill. If we’re going to fill these critical workforce shortages, we need to make sure MMA has the funding it needs to continue its mission and prepare its graduates for these good-paying, in-demand careers.”

As amended, LD 2092 would increase state financial support for Maine Maritime Academy’s operational funding by 5% every year, until the funding level reaches parity with either the University of Maine System or the Maine Community College System — whichever system receives the lower percentage of operational costs from state funding. The amendment also orders a review of how the state funds higher education programs overall.

“The Academy has always been an engine for Maine’s workforce. As a native Mainer, I’m proud to be one of the many examples of that,” said Craig Johnson, Maine Maritime MMA’s Chief Operating Officer and an Academy alumnus. “We know, however, there is far greater workforce potential to be realized if MMA’s state share of operational funding is updated. We are committed to building MMA into an institution that Maine can rely on throughout the 21st Century and we would like to ask you to share in that vision with us.” 

LD 2092 now faces votes before the full Senate and House.