Governor Mills Announces $100,000 in Funding to Keep Katahdin Higher Education Center Open

One-time funding from Governor's contingency account will preserve access to education and workforce training, child care in East Millinocket

East Millinocket, Maine - Governor Janet Mills announced today that she will donate $100,000 from her contingency fund to keep the Katahdin Higher Education Center in East Millinocket open while community leaders and state partners work to determine a sustainable long-term plan for the facility.

The Katahdin Higher Education Center was opened in 1987 as a joint initiative of Eastern

Maine Community College and the University of Maine System to bring in-person and distance college classes to northern Penobscot County. Today, the Center functions as a central access point for higher education, workforce training, and child care in the Katahdin Region.

Earlier this year, the University of Maine System announced that it would end its partnership with the Katahdin Center as part of a system-wide effort to reduce its physical footprint. The bridge funding provided by the Governor to the Maine Community College System will keep the Center open -- including critical on-site child care services -- while a long-term plan for the facility is developed. At the Governor's request, the Maine Community College System has already formed a working group focused on keeping the Center open for years to come.

"For nearly four decades, the Katahdin Higher Education Center has helped working families in the Katahdin region pursue a degree, earn a credential, access training, and access child care for their children as they build a better future close to home," said Governor Janet Mills. "This one-time bridge funding from my contingency account will keep this critical resource open while a working group develops a long-term plan to ensure it continues serving the Katahdin region for years to come."

"We are very grateful to Governor Mills for providing bridge funding for this critical regional resource," said Maine Community College System President David Daigler. "The Katahdin Higher Education Center is an important part of the community and we look forward to working with our partners to develop a sustainable, long-plan to continue offering affordable, accessible workforce training and child care in the community."

Located in East Millinocket, the Katahdin Higher Education Center is northern Penobscot County's only institution of higher learning. The Center provides access to higher education courses, academic advising, tutoring, placement testing, course registration, financial aid counseling, workforce training, and other student support services. The facility is also home to the Katahdin Region Child Development Center, a partnership of Penquis CAP and the Katahdin Higher Education Center that provides child care services for families in the region.

"The Katahdin Higher Education Center has become an important resource for education, workforce training, and economic opportunity in our region," said East Millinocket Selectman and former U.S. Congressman Mike Michaud. "Governor Mills' support will help ensure that these opportunities remain available while a long-term plan is developed. Her commitment to rural Maine continues to make a real difference for the people and communities of the Katahdin Region."

"For several years, the Katahdin Center has played a longstanding and essential role in the region. During the closing of the paper mills, the center was a place for relief and support for mill workers and today it's a place of opportunity for all," said Lee Umphrey, President and CEO of Eastern Maine Development Corporation. "This support from Governor Mills ensures that students at the Katahdin Higher Education Center will continue to provide local people an opportunity to learn, train and find jobs."

Since taking office in 2019, Governor Mills -- who calls rural Maine home -- has expanded opportunity in rural communities through historic investments in education, workforce training, child care, housing, infrastructure, and economic development.

The Governor's landmark Free Community College program has helped more than 23,000 Maine students attend community college tuition-free at Maine Community College System campuses from Presque Isle to Wells. In April, Governor Mills signed the supplemental budget into law at Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor, making the program permanent.

Since 2019, the Mills Administration has invested more than $145 million in state and federal funding to strengthen and expand affordable early care and education -- including in the Katahdin region -- creating more than 6,100 new child care slots across the state.

Last week, Governor Mills announced $15.9 million in Northern Border Regional Commission grants for 17 communities and organizations across rural Maine to support economic development, workforce housing, child care, and infrastructure projects. Maine's participation in the NBRC has resulted in more than $100 million in federal investment supporting hundreds of projects across rural Maine.