Maine Public Schools May Begin Co-op Ventures

One of the hallmarks of a Distributist state is the spread and support of cooperatives. In the state of Maine, several public schools have formed cooperatives to both save money on supplies and share costs on training and transportation. Now a bill has been filed which will give other Maine schools the same opportunity to go co-op.

As written by Matthew Stone in the Kennebec Journal of March 31st, the bill LD 1049 gives school districts the ability to form regional education cooperatives. All, of course, with prior approval of the state's Education Department. You may read Mr. Stone's article HERE.

This is great news. The schools can form co-ops from the bottom-up, not forced upon them from the government. And the government, in turn, gives them the support they need without Socialist micro-management. Costs are cut, burdens are shared and children get better opportunities to expand their education. Combined with private, religious, alternative and home schooling, Maine students can see potential benefits up the road ahead.

If this can be replicated elsewhere in America and Canada, then it should be done as soon as possible. This is a good way to promote Distributist principles in public education. Good job, Maine!