Nathan is serving his second term on the Bonny Eagle school board and he understands the crucial difference that our public schools make on the future of Maine. Every dollar put into K-12 education is a direct investment into our economy.
Nearly a third of all high school graduates flee the state in search of opportunities in other parts of the country, and we must do everything we can to keep those young people here in Maine by giving them the opportunities they need to lead successful and productive careers.
In 2014, more people died in Maine than were born here, and this dangerous trend has continued even until today. With 22% of our workforce retiring, we must work hard to keep our young people in Maine and to attract people from other states to come here to live and work.
This can be achieved by doing these things; 1) Promote our public institutions of higher education in order to encourage high school graduates to remain in Maine for their schooling. Most graduates settle within 60 miles of where they attended college. 2) Invest in research and development initiatives to make Maine a leader in science and technology, and 3) Incentive older Mainers to remain in the workforce longer by allowing them to work less hours while also receiving retirement benefits.