New Push to Convert Maine's Vacant School Spaces Into Workforce Housing Gains Momentum

A Brunswick author and former education policy analyst is renewing calls for Maine to transform its aging school buildings into much-needed workforce housing, drawing on a century-old precedent from the Cranberry Isles.

Barbara Kent Lawrence, who spent several years analyzing school facilities for the Rural School and Community Trust, has been studying innovative approaches to maintaining rural education amid declining enrollment. Her research, which included visits to schools across the country in the early 2000s, uncovered a model that once thrived off the coast of Maine.

On the Cranberry Isles, near Mount Desert Island, the local school converted its attic into an apartment for a teacher and their family. The arrangement served multiple purposes: it provided rental income to the school, ensured someone was always present on the property, and most critically, made it possible to recruit educators who otherwise could not afford island living costs. The school now bears the name of renowned artist and author Ashley Bryan.

"The residence brought income to the school, meant that someone was on the premises more often and, most important, helped attract teachers who could not otherwise afford to live on the island," Lawrence said. "It was a good idea that is worth trying elsewhere."

Those suggestions gained political traction earlier this year when Representative Traci Gere of Kennebunkport introduced legislation to establish workforce housing in vacant school buildings. The timing aligns with growing concerns about both Maine's housing shortage and the strain on municipal sewage systems, which often limit broader development in rural areas.

Lawrence argues that many Maine schools are well-positioned for conversion projects. Flat-roofed structures could potentially support additional floors of housing affordable to teachers, nurses, firefighters, and other essential workers. As student populations shrink, the demand on school sewage systems also decreases, freeing up capacity for residential use.

"Many school buildings can support housing," Lawrence noted. "The need for the capacity of their sewage systems also diminishes as the number of staff and students decreases. These unused resources should make it more affordable to build workforce housing over schools."

The former policy analyst also pointed to rental opportunities as a complementary strategy. Schools could lease space to appropriate businesses or host community events year-round, generating income during periods when classrooms would otherwise sit empty. Such arrangements exist throughout the country, she said.

Lawrence contends that preserving small schools rather than consolidating them represents the better path forward for Maine communities. Her work with the Rural School and Community Trust and her doctoral research into cultural influences on aspirations suggest that merging institutions rarely produces the promised savings.

"Consolidation rarely saves money and should be the last solution, not the first, for a declining student population," she said. "Small schools work most effectively for students, teachers, and communities."

She also advocated for alternative funding mechanisms, including provisions in the federal tax code that allow property sellers to defer capital gains by reinvesting profits into income-producing entities like workforce housing. Additionally, she suggested that providing tax deductions for rental expenses could help younger residents save for homeownership rather than being disadvantaged compared to homeowners who receive mortgage interest deductions.

Maine students currently rank 43rd nationally on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a dramatic decline from 1994 when the state's fourth graders led the nation in reading and math. Lawrence attributes this slide partly to consolidation efforts, larger class sizes, increased transportation time, and reduced community involvement in schools.

She plans to examine these connections more thoroughly in the coming year, building on her research into how educational structures affect both communities and student outcomes.