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Maine School Administrative District 40, Maine, elections
| Maine School Administrative District 40 |
|---|
 |
| District details |
| School board members: 16 |
| Students: 1,800 (2022-2023) |
| Schools: 7 (2022-2023) |
| Website: Link |
Maine School Administrative District 40 is a school district in Maine (Lincoln and Knox counties). During the 2023 school year, 1,800 students attended one of the district's seven schools.
2025 battleground election
Ballotpedia identified the June 10 general election as a battleground race. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, Maine School Administrative District 40, Maine, elections (2025)
Four seats in Maine School Administrative District 40 were up for election on June 10, 2025. Incumbents Randy Kassa and Danny Jackson were re-elected, while Timothy Wood defeated incumbent Erik Amundsen, and Richard Butler defeated incumbent Julie Swindler after a recount affirmed Butler’s one-vote victory.[1][2]
This district included the towns of Warren, Waldoboro, and Union. Members were elected to three-year terms on the 16-member board.[3]
Bangor Daily News' Jules Walkup wrote before the election, "A decade ago, little attention would have been paid to school board races in many parts of Maine. But RSU 40 has turned into a battleground over some of the hot-button social issues — especially around gender— that emerged during the early days of the COVID pandemic and have taken on new weight since President Donald Trump made them a central part of his new administration."[4]
According to the Penobscot Bay Pilot's Sarah Masters, the district created guidelines that included "addressing students by their preferred name and pronouns, permitting them to use the locker rooms and restrooms that most closely match their gender identity, and developing a support plan for the student."[5] The plan was implemented in 2018 and amended in 2023, adding a section that set the policy so that an administrator would have to discuss with the student before disclosing the student's gender identity to their parents.[5]
On June 6, 2024, the board voted 8-8 to repeal the district's student gender policy. As the district used weighted voting, giving more voting power to members from more populous towns, the weighting favored the members voting to repeal the gender policy. Bangor Daily News's Jules Walkup wrote, "supporters of the policy say that it helps marginalized students to feel more welcomed and gives staff more guidance about how to support them, while the board members opposed to the policy have argued that it undermines families and isn’t necessary given state protections for transgender people."[6] On August 1, 2024, after an election that shifted the balance of power to a liberal majority, the board voted to reinstate the policy.[7][8]
Richard Butler defeated Julie Swindler for one of the Warren seats.[2] Swindler, who served on the board since 2019, voted against repeal and in favor of restoring it. She said the rules were helpful to transgender youth and did not affect state law: "Transgender individuals deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. These actions were largely symbolic, as school boards do not have the authority to override state law."[9][10] Richard Butler was a military veteran and worked for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.[11] Butler opposed the guidelines and wrote in a Facebook post, "[M]y biggest concern is the lack of immediate parental notification if a child wants to change their name or gender identity."[12]
In the other Warren seat, the incumbent Randy Kassa won re-election unopposed.[1] He voted to repeal the policy in June 2024, but said he did not intend to vote for any more changes.[4]
Incumbent Danny Jackson defeated Sonja Sleeper for the Waldoboro seat.[1] Jackson, who had been on the board since 2012, supported the district’s policies and said, "I support current state law. I would not want to have the current policies changed."[13] Sleeper did not publicly share her position on the policies.
In the Union seat, Timothy Wood defeated incumbent Erik Amundsen.[1] Amundsen opposed the repeal and supported the district's policies.[14][10] Wood previously ran for a seat on the board in 2024 and opposed the policies during that campaign.[10]
The towns in the district voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2024, but also voted for Democratic-caucusing Sen. Angus King (I).[4] This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.
Elections
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Regional School Unit 40, Union
General election
General election for Regional School Unit 40, Union
Erik Amundsen and Timothy S. Wood ran in the general election for Regional School Unit 40, Union on June 10, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Erik Amundsen (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Timothy S. Wood (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Regional School Unit 40, Waldoboro
General election
General election for Regional School Unit 40, Waldoboro
Danny Jackson and Sonja Sleeper ran in the general election for Regional School Unit 40, Waldoboro on June 10, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Danny Jackson (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Sonja Sleeper (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Regional School Unit 40, Warren
General election
General election for Regional School Unit 40, Warren
Incumbent Randy J. Kassa ran in the general election for Regional School Unit 40, Warren on June 10, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Randy J. Kassa (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Regional School Unit 40, Warren
General election
General election for Regional School Unit 40, Warren
Incumbent Julie E. Swindler and Richard M. Butler ran in the general election for Regional School Unit 40, Warren on June 10, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Julie E. Swindler (Nonpartisan) | ||
 | Richard M. Butler (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Regional School Unit 40, Waldoboro
General election
General election for Regional School Unit 40, Waldoboro (2 seats)
Steven Karp, Tabatha MacArthur, and Benjamin Stickney ran in the general election for Regional School Unit 40, Waldoboro on June 11, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Steven Karp (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Tabatha MacArthur (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Benjamin Stickney (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
About the district
School board
The Maine School Administrative District 40 consists of 16 members serving three-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.
| Name | Seat | Year assumed office | Year term ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tim McLaughlin | Friendship | ||
| Richard Butler | Warren | 2028 | |
| Danny Jackson | Waldoboro | 2028 | |
| Randy Kassa | Warren | 2028 | |
| Rachael Morris | Washington | 2028 | |
| Timothy Wood | Union | 2028 | |
| Naomi Aho | Warren | 2027 | |
| Leah Shipps | Waldoboro | 2027 | |
| Benjamin Stickney | Waldoboro | 2027 | |
| Rachel Wilcox | Union | 2027 | |
| Joshua Blackman | Warren | 2026 | |
| Noah Botley | Washington | 2026 | |
| Nichole Taylor | Union | 2026 | |
| Emily Trask-Eaton | Waldoboro | 2026 | |
| Betsy Vanderploeg | Friendship | 2026 | |
| Melvin Williams | Waldoboro | 2026 |
Join the conversation about school board politics
District map
Overlapping state house districts
The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[15]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $6,379,000 | $3,592 | 18% |
| Local: | $13,675,000 | $7,700 | 40% |
| State: | $14,415,000 | $8,117 | 42% |
| Total: | $34,469,000 | $19,408 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $30,845,000 | $17,367 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $29,472,000 | $16,594 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $16,841,000 | $9,482 | 55% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $4,232,000 | $2,382 | 14% |
| Administration: | $3,342,000 | $1,881 | 11% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $5,057,000 | $2,847 | 16% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $392,000 | $220 | |
| Construction: | $0 | $0 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $80,000 | $45 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $189,000 | $106 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."[16]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 78 | PS | PS | >=50 | PS | 60-79 | 79 |
| 2018-2019 | 29 | PS | <50 | PS | 30-39 | 29 | |
| 2017-2018 | 33 | PS | PS | <50 | PS | 40-59 | 33 |
| 2016-2017 | 30 | PS | PS | <50 | PS | 21-39 | 30 |
| 2015-2016 | 35 | >=50 | PS | <50 | PS | <50 | 35 |
| 2014-2015 | 26 | PS | PS | <50 | PS | <50 | 27 |
| 2013-2014 | 47 | >=50 | PS | <50 | PS | >=50 | 48 |
| 2012-2013 | 52 | >=50 | PS | <50 | >=50 | <50 | 52 |
| 2011-2012 | 57 | >=50 | PS | 21-39 | PS | 40-59 | 57 |
| 2010-2011 | 53 | >=50 | PS | 21-39 | PS | >=50 | 53 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 85 | PS | PS | >=50 | PS | 60-79 | 86 |
| 2018-2019 | 49 | PS | <50 | PS | 50-59 | 49 | |
| 2017-2018 | 45 | PS | PS | <50 | PS | 40-59 | 45 |
| 2016-2017 | 45 | PS | PS | <50 | PS | 40-59 | 45 |
| 2015-2016 | 43 | >=50 | PS | <50 | PS | <50 | 44 |
| 2014-2015 | 36 | PS | PS | >=50 | PS | <50 | 36 |
| 2013-2014 | 55 | >=50 | PS | >=50 | PS | >=50 | 55 |
| 2012-2013 | 56 | >=50 | PS | >=50 | >=50 | <50 | 56 |
| 2011-2012 | 62 | >=50 | PS | 40-59 | PS | 60-79 | 62 |
| 2010-2011 | 55 | >=50 | PS | >=50 | PS | >=50 | 55 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | 85-89 | PS | PS | PS | PS | 85-89 | |
| 2018-2019 | 85-89 | PS | PS | PS | 85-89 | ||
| 2017-2018 | 85-89 | PS | PS | PS | 85-89 | ||
| 2016-2017 | 85-89 | PS | PS | PS | PS | PS | 85-89 |
| 2015-2016 | >=95 | PS | PS | PS | PS | >=95 | |
| 2014-2015 | 75-79 | PS | PS | PS | PS | 75-79 | |
| 2013-2014 | 90-94 | PS | PS | 90-94 | |||
| 2012-2013 | 85-89 | PS | >=50 | 85-89 | |||
| 2011-2012 | 80-84 | PS | PS | 80-84 | |||
| 2010-2011 | 75-79 | PS | PS | 75-79 |
Students
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[17]
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-2023 | 1,800 | -1.4 |
| 2021-2022 | 1,825 | 2.7 |
| 2020-2021 | 1,776 | -6.4 |
| 2019-2020 | 1,889 | -0.8 |
| 2018-2019 | 1,905 | 2.8 |
| 2017-2018 | 1,852 | 2.3 |
| 2016-2017 | 1,809 | -3.0 |
| 2015-2016 | 1,863 | 0.7 |
| 2014-2015 | 1,850 | 4.0 |
| 2013-2014 | 1,776 | -2.9 |
| 2012-2013 | 1,827 | -3.2 |
| 2011-2012 | 1,885 | 1.4 |
| 2010-2011 | 1,858 | -2.6 |
| 2009-2010 | 1,907 | -1.0 |
| 2008-2009 | 1,926 | 0.8 |
| 2007-2008 | 1,911 | -4.0 |
| 2006-2007 | 1,988 | -1.3 |
| 2005-2006 | 2,014 | -2.5 |
| 2004-2005 | 2,065 | -1.5 |
| 2003-2004 | 2,095 | -1.7 |
| 2002-2003 | 2,130 | -7.0 |
| 2001-2002 | 2,280 | 1.5 |
| 2000-2001 | 2,245 | -1.2 |
| 1999-2000 | 2,273 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Maine School Administrative District 40 (%) | Maine K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.2 | 0.8 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.4 | 1.4 |
| Black | 0.3 | 4.4 |
| Hispanic | 2.1 | 3.2 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 3.9 | 3.4 |
| White | 93.0 | 86.7 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[18]
As of the 2022-2023 school year, Maine School Administrative District 40 had 159.12 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 11.31.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 5.00 |
| Kindergarten: | 14.62 |
| Elementary: | 98.60 |
| Secondary: | 40.90 |
| Total: | 159.12 |
Maine School Administrative District 40 employed 7.00 district administrators and 12.00 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 7.00 |
| District Administrative Support: | 7.00 |
| School Administrators: | 12.00 |
| School Administrative Support: | 13.00 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 71.80 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 3.30 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 6.00 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 1.00 |
| Library/Media Support: | 7.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 23.50 |
| Other Support Services: | 60.20 |
Schools
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[19]
About school boards
Education legislation in Maine
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| School Boards | Education Policy | Local Politics | Maine |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Midcoast Villager, "Voters Sending Mixed Message in RSU 40 Races," June 10, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Midcoast Villager, "Butler Retains Victory by One Vote after Recount in Warren," June 24, 2025
- ↑ Lincoln County News, "Four Vie For Two Seats On RSU 40 Board Of Directors," June 7, 2024
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Bangor Daily News, "An election looms in a Maine school district divided over transgender rights," May 20, 2025
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Pen Bay Pilot, "RSU40 School Board on verge of deleting policy protecting transgender students," June 6, 2024
- ↑ Bangor Daily News, "Midcoast school district eliminates transgender protections," June 7, 2024
- ↑ Maine Morning Star, "After repealing trans student protections, RSU 40 school board gains narrow progressive majority," June 12, 2024
- ↑ Pen Bay News, "RSU 40 School Board reverses course, reinstates transgender policy deleted in June," August 4, 2025
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Julie Swindler," accessed May 28, 2025
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Midcoast Villager, "Races Could Again Shift Balance on RSU 40 Board," April 24, 2025
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Richard Butler," accessed May 27, 2025
- ↑ Facebook, "What's Up Warren on Facebook-April 24, 2025," April 24, 2025
- ↑ Pen Bay Pilot, "RSU40 School Board Waldoboro Candidate: Danny Jackson," May 27, 2025
- ↑ Lincoln County News, "RSU 40 Board Repeals Transgender Student Policy," June 13, 2024
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
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