U.S. Secretaries of Interior and Education visit Maine school she has helped secure funding for

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree applauded U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell for visiting the Beatrice Rafferty School in Pleasant Point, Maine, later today to highlight needed reforms in how the federal government administers programs to support the education of Native American students.

“I want to thank both Secretary Duncan and Secretary Jewell for coming to Maine today to get feedback from the Passamaquoddy community about better supporting tribal education. Tribal schools play critical roles in preparing children for the future as well as passing on their cultural heritage to the next generation, but they face a unique set of challenges,” said Pingree. “One of the most significant challenges is unhealthy and outdated schools buildings, which the Secretaries will be able to see firsthand at Beatrice Rafferty. Along with rethinking the role of federal programs, we need to fix and replace these buildings so teachers and students can focus on their jobs.”

As a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior and Environment—which oversees funding for the Bureau of Indian Education—Pingree has worked to secure funding towards replacing Beatrice Rafferty School. Earlier this year, Pingree's committee passed a bill that would fully fund the $18 million cost of construction for a new school. That bill has not yet been voted on by the full House, and the Senate still has to act on funding for the Department of the Interior. She visited the school in June with fellow Appropriations Committee member Representative Betty McCollum of Minnesota.

Schools on the country’s tribal reservations receive funds from both the federal Department of Education and Bureau of Indian Education. In Maine, the state also contributes funding.

In 2013, Secretaries Jewell and Duncan convened an American Indian Study Group to assess systemic issues within Bureau of Indian Education Schools and to propose a comprehensive plan for reform to ensure all students receive high-quality education. The Departments of Education and the Interior are now working together to act on the group's recommendations.