Maine Department Of Education

The Maine Department Of Education, a U.S. state government entity headquartered in Augusta, Maine, functions as a federal grant recipient distributing formula and project grants to local educational agencies, school districts, charter schools, and community-based providers across Maine's 16 counties. The agency does not hold prime federal contracts; it operates exclusively as a grant recipient and pass-through entity, holding 605 prime federal grants (100% of its award footprint) and one grant sub-award across 24 distinct federal customer agencies since 1989.

Maine Department Of Education's federal footprint is heavily concentrated in education and nutrition formula grants. The Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services together account for 87% of the agency's 606 total awards in recent years, anchored by recurring Title I grants (CFDA 84.010), Special Education Grants to States (CFDA 84.027), and Twenty-First Century Community Learning Centers (CFDA 84.287). The Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service supplies an additional 148 awards across Child and Adult Care Food Program administration (CFDA 10.558), National School Lunch Program (CFDA 10.555), Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (CFDA 10.582), and related child nutrition initiatives. Combined potential value across all awards stands at $4.5 million, though actual obligated dollars exceed $4.98 billion, reflecting the scale of pass-through nutrition and education formula allocations flowing through the agency to sub-recipients statewide. The agency also holds a $2,018,784 definitive contract with the Institute of Education Sciences (April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2035) to serve as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) State Coordinator, coordinating statewide NAEP operations and supporting national student achievement measurement.

Activity has remained flat across the past five years at approximately 31 awards annually (2023–2025), with 17 awards recorded year-to-date through October 2026. Twenty-six awards face ultimate completion within the next 24 months, concentrated in July and September 2027 closeout dates typical of education and nutrition formula cycles. Maine Department Of Education's single grant sub-award involves the Office of Adult Education functioning as a sub-recipient under Coastal Counties Workforce Inc.'s Refugee Career Pathways Program (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration of Children and Families), signed September 30, 2022. The agency maintains a subsidiary, Child Development Services (U.S. State Government), designated as a sub-grantee effective February 2, 2026, to assist in delivering early intervention services under the Special Education-Grants for Infants and Families program (CFDA 84.181).

The capability portfolio centers on state-level administration and pass-through distribution of federal education and nutrition funding. Representative work includes administration of Title I formula grants (CFDA 84.010, $25,012,566 awarded July 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027) distributing funds to local educational agencies in high-poverty schools; administration of Special Education Grants to States (CFDA 84.027, $22,413,000 awarded July 1, 2026) serving children with disabilities ages 3–21 across Maine; Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (CFDA 84.424, $6,693,000 awarded July 1, 2026) funding well-rounded education, school conditions, and technology integration; and National School Lunch Program administration (CFDA 10.555, $56,380,624 awarded October 1, 2025) providing nutritious meal service to Maine schools. The agency also administers Preschool Development Grants Birth through Five (CFDA 93.434, $3,866,014 awarded December 31, 2025) advancing unified early care and education systems, English Language Acquisition State Grants (CFDA 84.365), rural education support (CFDA 84.358), and career and technical education formula grants (CFDA 84.048). Child Nutrition Program technology innovation grants (CFDA 10.541, $541,924 awarded September 30, 2025, and $698,955 awarded September 27, 2024) fund automated information systems for meal planning, implementation, and management across federal nutrition programs.