MEDIA RELEASE: Applications Open for Student Position on Maine State Board of Education

Applications are being accepted from current high school sophomores who attend public school in the Second Congressional District.

The Maine State Board of Education is currently seeking applications for its newest student member. Applications are open through Friday, February 13, 2026.

Student voice is critically important to the Maine State Board of Education. The Board has two nonvoting student members who join as high school juniors and serve for two years. One student is enrolled in a school in Maine’s First Congressional District, and the other student is enrolled in a school in Maine’s Second Congressional District. At all times, the Board has one high school junior and one high school senior with staggered appointments serving as members.

Applications are being accepted from current high school sophomores who attend public school in the Second Congressional District, which includes Androscoggin, Aroostook, Franklin, Hancock, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, Washington, and part of Kennebec Counties.

“Students bring a vital perspective to the Maine State Board of Education. Their lived experiences in Maine’s schools help to inform the Board’s decisions and strengthen its work on behalf of all learners,” Paulette Bonneau, Chair of the Maine State Board of Education, said. “Serving on the Board is a unique opportunity for students to engage in civic leadership, while shaping the future of education in Maine. Student members play an important role in ensuring that Board discussions and decisions reflect the realities of today’s classrooms.”

Application materials are available on the Student Board Members webpage. The Maine State Board of Education has also mailed application materials to all Second Congressional District high school principals, Career and Technical Education directors, and school counselors.

Completed applications, either hard copy or digital copy, should please be sent to:

Mary Becker
Interim Office Specialist
Maine State Board of Education
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023
207-624-6616
Mary.Becker@maine.gov

After applications close on February 13, they will be reviewed according to the process described in statute. Semifinalists will be interviewed in March 2026, after which three finalists will be chosen. The names and application materials of the finalists will be sent to the Governor’s office for final selection. The Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs of the Maine State Legislature will then interview the nominee in a public hearing and make a recommendation about the nominee to the Maine Senate, which is charged with confirming the appointment.

Please consider sharing this extraordinary opportunity for Maine students to practice civic engagement, while serving as both a representative of Maine students and an active education leader in Maine.

Those with questions may contact Mary Becker, Maine State Board of Education Interim Office Specialist, at 207-624-6616 or via email at Mary.Becker@maine.gov.