Implementation of Master Contractual Agreement Delayed Until the 2027-2028 School Year

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) has reviewed feedback provided by the field during the second comment period for the revised master contractual agreement and determined that additional time is required before implementation. As such, the Maine DOE will continue to work with stakeholders from public and private schools to ensure the master contractual agreement is fully executed before the start of the 2027-2028 school year.

The Maine DOE initiated the process of instituting a master contractual agreement in order to satisfy the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requirement that Maine DOE and school administrative units (SAUs) ensure that all students with disabilities who are placed by their SAUs in a private school to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) are given all of the rights and protections afforded to them by law. When placing a child in a private school, an SAU must ensure that the student has the same rights and procedural safeguards as a student served by a public agency or school.

The goal of the master contractual agreement is to ensure that all SAUs are compliant with the IDEA and meet existing Maine law, which requires that private schools seeking to provide special education programs enter into a master contractual agreement with the commissioner (M.R.S. Title 20-A, §7252-A).

In October 2025, the Maine DOE provided the draft of the master contractual agreement and sought feedback from stakeholders. After this initial 30-day comment period, the Maine DOE made significant revisions to the master contractual agreement and—based on a request from stakeholders—offered another 30-day comment period.

The comments provided during the second comment period reflected ongoing opposition to the master contractual agreement. If it were to have been implemented, private schools would have had until May 1, 2026, to sign the agreement, leaving SAUs little time to convene the IEP team meetings necessary to determine new placements in the event that a private school determined it would not sign.

In light of the updated timeline, the Maine DOE is holding an office hour to answer questions on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 8 a.m. Please register for this session using this link.

The Maine DOE will continue to work closely with SAUs to ensure that the IDEA is satisfied and that students placed in private schools are given all of the rights and protections afforded to them by law. Information about the master contractual agreement can be found on the Maine DOE website.