Meals-to-You is an alternative method available to school districts to provide meals during unanticipated school closures. Originally started as a pilot program, Meals to You is a collaboration between the United States Department of Agriculture and Baylor University wherein eligible students unreached by traditional Summer Food Service Programs (SFSP) receive shelf stable, nutritious meals right at their door step that children can prepare on their own. This program is directed towards rural families, for whom traditional SFSP options are a challenge due to distance and transportation. The program is at no cost to the district.

Below are parameters for how the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty can be used in school districts to serve families affected by COVID-19-related school closures. This is one of the many summer food service options school districts can use to ensure their kids have access to nutritious food during unexpected school closures.

Eligibility Criteria:

Districts that wish to participate must meet the following criteria:

• Have schools located in rural areas within Maine. Rural designations can be found through:
• The National Center of Education Statistics (nces.ed.gov)
• USDA rural designation (fns.usda.gov/rural-designation).
• Click here to check if your district meets this rural criteria
• Have announced a school closure lasing four weeks or longer
• Be willing to participate in the Summer Food Service Program(SFSP)
• Have schools that are area eligible, based on the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)

Applications meeting the above criteria will be processed on a first come, first serve basis. If qualified proposals exceed service capacity, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) will prioritize based on the free and reduced eligibility of the schools or the identified student percentage of a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school, where relevant.

Process to Apply:

Districts interested in applying must visit: https://mealstoyou.org/emergency-meals-to-you-school-districts/ to complete the application. Applications must be emailed to Stephanie Stambach, DOE Child Nutrition at  Stephanie.Stambach@maine.gov.

The DOE will verify that the school district meets the eligibility criteria and that Meals-to-You applications match information the DOE has on file. The DOE then emails the application to the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty for approval: info@mealstoyou.org.

Once the school district application is approved, families must enroll to receive meals. The district will determine how family enrollment can occur in one of two ways:

1.Families enroll electronically on the Meals to You website: https://mealstoyou.org/emergency-to-you-families  OR

2. School districts can develop a call center process where school staff contact families for their information, including mailing addresses. The district then prepares a spreadsheet of the children with their student IDs and forwards to the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty.

Once enrollment is verified, the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty will connect school districts with vendors to start delivering meals. Two weeks’ worth of breakfasts and lunches that meet the Summer Food Service Program meal requirements will then be sent to families via USPS or UPS. There is a relatively short turnaround time once the enrollments have been processed.

For more information and questions regarding Meals to You please contact:

Stephanie Stambach MS, RD, SNS
Child Nutrition Consultant
Maine Department of Education
Phone: 207-624-6732 (office)/ 207-215-9437 (work cell)
Stephanie.Stambach@maine.gov
 

Q- What waivers or exemptions from driver requirements have been issued associated with school and transportation department shutdowns and their attendant difficulties, such as CDL licenses expiring, drug and alcohol random testing disruptions, medical examiner certificates (MECs) expiring, and the like?

A1- Drug and Alcohol Testing: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued an emergency declaration related to some FMCSA regulations in 49 CFR Part 390-399.  In this declaration, they specifically state this is not an exemption from the controlled substances and alcohol use and testing requirements, 49 CFR Part 382.  All testing, including random testing, should continue as required.  However, if a school is shut down and no school bus driver is performing safety sensitive functions, testing cannot be performed.  The employer will need to note why the randomly selected drivers were not tested during the selection period.  Employers may wish to document the date the random test was scheduled and the dates the donor was not performing safety-sensitive functions.  The employer will still be required to meet the random testing percentages for 2020 of 50 percent for drugs and 10 percent for alcohol.  Once schools reopen and throughout the remainder of the calendar year, employers will need to increase their random testing to ensure compliance.  Employers should work closely with their testing providers to monitor compliance and stay apprised of any waivers or delays that may be approved within the federal regulations.

A2- Commercial Driver Licensing and Medical Examiner Certificates: On March 24, 2020, the FMCSA issued a “Waiver in Response to the COVID-19 Emergency – For States, CDL Holders, CLP Holders, and Interstate Drivers Operating Commercial Motor Vehicles,” available here.   The waiver is multi-part and provides until June 30, 2020, a waiver from certain regulations applicable to interstate and intrastate commercial driver’s license (CDL) and commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders and to other interstate drivers operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs).  It includes the following provisions:

• Extends until June 30, 2020 the maximum period of CDL validity by waiving 49 CFR 383.73(b)(9) and 383.73(d)(6) for CDLs due for renewal on or after March 1, 2020.
• Extends until June 30, 2020 the maximum period of CLP validity by waiving 49 CFR 383.73(a)(2)(iii) and 383.25(c) for CLPs that are due for renewal on or after March 1, 2020, without requiring the CLP holders to retake the general and endorsement knowledge tests.
• Waives the requirement under 49 CFR 383.25(e) that CLP holders wait 14 days to take the CDL skills test.
• Waives the requirement under 49 CFR 391.45 that CDL holders, CLP holders, and non-CDL drivers have a medical examination and certification, provided that they have proof of a valid medical certification that was issued for a period of 90 days or longer and that expired on or after March 1, 2020.
• Waives the requirement under 49 CFR 383.71(h)(3) that, in order to maintain the medical certification status of “certified,” CDL or CLP holders provide the State Driver Licensing Agency with an original or copy of a subsequently issued medical examiner’s certificate, provided that they have proof of a valid medical certification that expired on or after March 1, 2020.
• Waives the requirement under 49 CFR 383.73(o)(2) that the State Driver Licensing Agency change the CDL or CLP holder’s medical certification status to “not certified” upon the expiration of the medical examiner’s certificate or medical variance, provided that the CDL or CLP holders have proof of a valid medical certification that expired on or after March 1, 2020.
• Waives the requirements under 49 CFR 383.73(o)(4) that the State Driver Licensing Agency initiate a CDL or CLP downgrade upon the expiration of the medical examiner’s certificate or medical variance, provided that the CDL or CLP holders have proof of a valid medical certification or medical variance that expired on or after March 1, 2020.
• In accordance with 49 CFR 383.23(a)(1) and 391.41(a)(1)(i), FMCSA continues to recognize the validity of commercial driver’s licenses issued by Canadian Provinces and Territories and Licencias Federales de Conductor issued by the United Mexican States, in accordance with 49 CFR part 383, when such jurisdictions issue a similar notice or declaration extending the validity date of the medical examination and certification and/or validity of the corresponding commercial driver’s license due to interruption to government service resulting from COVID-19.

States, CDL holders, CLP holders, and interstate non-CDL CMV drivers are covered under this waiver without further action.

FMCSA will not issue a finding of noncompliance under 49 CFR part 384 against States for action or inaction consistent with this waiver.

Regarding Medical Examiner Certificates, although the federal ME regulations do not extend to most public school bus drivers under federal authority, many states have look-alike or more stringent regulations for medical examinations and qualifications of school bus drivers.  NASDPTS recommends that you contact your state director of student transportation or other regulating state agency, as individual states may have instituted similar relief measures during the current crisis.  Since this situation is evolving so rapidly, we recommend checking back frequently at the FMCSA Emergency Declarations page located here.

Source:  National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) Information Report: Coronavirus and Student Transportation, March 24, 2020.

If needed, here are the actual links referenced above:

1. FMCSA emergency declaration:  https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/emergency-declarations#FMCSA
2. NASDPTS contact for state director of student transportation:  http://www.nasdpts.org/Directors/index.html
3. FMCSA CDL Waiver-3.24.20 (Waiver in Response to the COVID-19 Emergency – For States, CDL Holders, CLP Holders, and Interstate Drivers Operating Commercial Motor Vehicles):  https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/emergency/fmcsa-cdl-waiver-32420

Virtual office hour schedule for Thursday, March 26, 2020

The Maine Department of Education continues to schedule virtual office hours with Department Specialist to support educators and administrators during extended remote learning. During these meetings, our specialists will be available to provide support and guidance regarding distance learning and school supports, as well as to facilitate networking and resource sharing between educators.

Thank you to the educators in Maine, nationally, and internationally who have joined these popular sessions. We are pleased to be able to offer a platform where educators can connect. We do ask that, with space limitations, priority be given to Maine educators first as these support sessions are intended for them.

Please note that Office Hour Schedules will be regularly updated on this web page: https://www.maine.gov/doe/covid-19/contentmeetings and the Department will continue scheduling content specific office hours as needed.

Virtual Office Hours:

(Please note: each of these meetings as a 100 person max capacity.)

THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2020

FOCUS AREA	SPECIALIST	TIME	LINK	CONTACT INFO
ELA 6-12 Office Hours	Morgan Dunton	7:00 AM	https://zoom.us/j/584635731	morgan.dunton@maine.gov
Brain Centered Emotional Support Session	Kellie Bailey	8:30	https://zoom.us/j/689251005	kellie.bailey@maine.gov
School Nursing	Emily Poland	8:30	https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/615139238	emily.poland@maine.gov
Teaching Personal Finance/Economics Office Hour	Joe Schmidt	9:00	https://zoom.us/j/690625599	joe.schmidt@maine.gov
School Counseling	Bear Shea	10:00	https://zoom.us/j/598318140	w.bear.shea@maine.gov
Elementary Literacy	Dee Saucier	10:00	https://zoom.us/j/212984422	danielle.m.saucier@maine.gov
Using the Secretary of State’s Kids Page (Social Studies)	Joe Schmidt & Sec. of State’s Office	10:00	https://zoom.us/j/958846138	joe.schmidt@maine.gov
Math K-5 Office Hour	Jen & Michele	10:00	https://zoom.us/j/271802645	jennifer.r.robitaille@maine.gov
Public Pre-K	Nicole Madore	10:00	https://zoom.us/j/231772841	nicole.madore@maine.gov
Physical Education	Jean Zimmerman	10:00	https://zoom.us/j/484290590	jean.zimmerman@maine.gov
Special Services Grades K-12	Colette Sullivan and Leora Byras	10:00	https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/955322129	roberta.lucas@maine.gov
Health Education	Susan Berry	11:00	https://zoom.us/j/484290590	susan.berry@maine.gov
Alternative Education	Heather Whitaker (2020 Teacher of the Year)	11:00	https://zoom.us/j/775339375
PBIS and Behavior Supports	Courtney Angelosante (University of Maine)	11:00	https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/558627668	tracy.w.whitlock@maine.gov
Office Hours: 6-12 Math	Michele & Jen	12:00	https://zoom.us/j/562777233	michele.mailhot@maine.gov
VISUAL ART, Grades 9-12 Office Hour	Jason Anderson	12:00	https://zoom.us/j/361857839	jason.anderson@maine.gov
Online Learning Support– Adult Education and PK-12	Emma-Marie Banks	12:30	https://zoom.us/j/2494724142	emma-marie.banks@maine.gov
Exploring Primary Sources with the Maine State Archives	Joe Schmidt w/ Maine State Archives	1:00	https://zoom.us/j/859194691	joe.schmidt@maine.gov
MUSIC, Grades 9-12 Office Hour	Jason Anderson	1:00	https://zoom.us/j/179117127	jason.anderson@maine.gov
World Language – Indigenous Languages, Russian, Japanese, & Arabic	Lavinia Rogers	1:00	https://zoom.us/j/985361609	lavinia.m.rogers@maine.gov
Adult Education- Serving ELL Students Office Hours/Support	April Perkins and Megan Dichter	1:30	Join URL: https://zoom.us/j/458803116	megan,dichter@maine.gov
Adapted Physical Education	Jean Zimmerman	1:00	https://zoom.us/j/409193455	jean.zimmerman@maine.gov
Career and Education Development  Networking	Diana Doiron	2:00	: https://networkmaine.zoom.us/j/461821969	diana.doiron@maine.gov
Meaningful but Manageable (HS Music Educators)	Jason Anderson (Led by Rob Westerberg, York HS)	2:00	https://zoom.us/j/932984876	jason.anderson@maine.gov
6-12 Earth/Environmental Science networking	Shari Templeton	2:00	https://zoom.us/j/638906844	shari.templeton@maine.gov
6-12 Life Science networking	Shari Templeton	2:30	https://zoom.us/j/638906844	shari.templeton@maine.gov
ELA 6-12 Office Hours	Morgan Dunton	3:00	https://zoom.us/j/307506699	morgan.dunton@maine.gov
6-12 Physical Science networking	Shari Templeton	3:00	https://zoom.us/j/638906844	shari.templeton@maine.gov
THEATRE, Grades K-12 Office Hour	Jason Anderson	3:00	https://zoom.us/j/165295678	jason.anderson@maine.gov
MTSS T 2 and T3 Open Forum	Andrea Logan	3:00	https://zoom.us/j/4525406402	andrea.logan@maine.gov
World Language (K-12)	Lavinia Rogers	3:30	https://zoom.us/j/466701693	lavinia.m.rogers@maine.gov
Social Studies PK-12	Joe Schmidt	4:00	https://zoom.us/j/776265504	joe.schmidt@maine.gov
DANCE, Grades K-12 Office Hour	Jason Anderson	4:00	https://zoom.us/j/932984876	jason.anderson@maine.gov

Thank you, educators, school and district leaders, for all the work you’re doing keeping students and families educationally engaged during this challenging time.

The Maine Department of Education  is excited to announce that the request submitted to the U.S. Department of Education to waive assessments, accountability and school identifications (SY 20-21) has been granted with formal written approval to be received in the coming weeks.

As a result of this waiver, the Department will not implement:

• Assessment requirements in section 1111(b)(2): the requirements to administer all required assessments in school year 2019-2020.

Maine will not administer the following assessments during the spring 2020 assessment window:

• eMPowerME (Math & English Language Arts/Literacy – grades 3 -8)
• SAT (Math & English Language Arts/Literacy – 3^rd year of high school)
• Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA -Math & English Language Arts/Literacy – grades 3 -8)
• Science (grades 5, 8 and 3^rd year of high school)
• Science Alternate Assessment (SAA – grades 5, 8 and 3^rd year of high school)

Accountability and school identification requirements in sections 1111(c)(4) and 1111(d)(2)(C)-(D): the requirements that a State annually meaningfully differentiate all public schools and the requirements to identify schools for comprehensive and targeted support and improvement and additional targeted support and improvement based on data from the 2019-2020 school year.

Maine will not identify additional schools eligible to receive supports in the 2020-2021 school year.

Report card provisions (ESSA Data Dashboard) related to certain assessments and accountability in section 1111(h) based on data from the 2019-2020 school year.

Maine will not publicly report the following items within the ESSA Dashboard: 

• Section 1111(h)(1)(C)(i) (accountability system description).
• Section 1111(h)(1)(C)(ii) (assessment results).
• Section 1111(h)(1)(C)(iii)(I) (other academic indicator results – in Maine this is academic growth).
• Section 1111(h)(1)(C)(iv) (English language proficiency assessment results).
• Section 1111(h)(1)(C)(v) (school quality or student success indicator results – in Maine this is chronic absenteeism).
• Section 1111(h)(1)(C)(vi) (progress toward meeting long-terms goals and measurements of interim progress).
• Section 1111(h)(1)(C)(vii) (percentage of students assessed and not assessed – participation rate).
• Section 1111(h)(1)(C)(xi) (number and percentage of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities taking an alternate assessment).
• Section 1111(h)(2)(C) with respect to all waived requirements in section 1111(h)(1)(C) as well as 1111(h)(2)(C)(i)-(ii) (information showing how students in a local educational agency (LEA) and each school, respectively, achieved on the academic assessments compared to students in the State and LEA).

Public comment is still required regarding Maine’s application to waive the above requirements. Information related to public comment can be located in the DOE Newsroom. Public comment is open through April 10, 2020.  Comments can be submitted to ESSA.DOE@maine.gov.

Further questions can be directed to Janette Kirk, Chief of Learning Systems at Janette.Kirk@maine.gov

As we are all aware, these are unprecedented times with unique challenges, however the Maine Department of Education is asking schools to submit and have their superintendents certify their April Enrollment Count Report. While many Maine state reporting requirements have been suspended, there is need for these data for purposes of calculating public school tuition rates.

Please note that for the April 1 count, “enrollment and attending” are referring to the school that is responsible for educating the student for April 1, 2020.  We are not asking schools to take attendance on April 1, just to certify the students for which they are responsible on this date.

The April Enrollment Count Report will be available for districts to submit and certify, beginning on April 1^st with a certify by date of May 30^th.

The April Enrollment Count Reports will be used for calculating tuition rates in accordance with Title 20-A, §5805, subsection 1.B. This count will not be used for the Essential Services and Programs (EPS) School funding formula, but is still necessary for calculating the tuition rates. Please note that students who are enrolled at outside placements at regional programs or special purpose private schools, are not included enrollment counts in the primary enrollment district.

Instruction on how to complete this report are available here:

https://www.maine.gov/doe/data-reporting/collection/helpdesk/resources/data-reporting-instructions

If you have any questions, feel free to contact:

MEDMS Helpdesk – 207-624-6896