Yet Cumberland receives more education funding from the state than we do. Many arrive at school hungry or stressed, and our teachers often serve as counselors and social workers as much as educators. Meanwhile, in wealthier suburbs, a majority of students arrive every day “well read and well fed.”The root of this inequity is Maine’s Essential Programs and Services (EPS) formula. The EPS formula was meant to ensure that every Maine child, regardless of ZIP code, has access to a quality education. For Biddeford families, for rural Maine families, and for the future of our workforce, the message is simple: the Legislature must act.