“Finding the right location was critical as we worked to bring MOXIE Public Schools to life,” said the school’s director. The building offers accessibility, infrastructure and space.
Get Instant Access to This Article
Subscribe to Mainebiz and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
- Critical Maine business news updated daily.
- Immediate access to all subscriber-only content on our website.
- Bi-weekly print or digital editions of our award-winning publication.
- Special bonus issues like the Mainebiz Book of Lists.
- Exclusive ticket prize draws for our in-person events.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
A tuition-free charter school is preparing to open its doors for the first time in a leased space at 123 Darling Ave. in South Portland.
MOXIE Public Schools will open for classes this fall.
The property was formerly the headquarters of payment processing company WEX (NYSE: WEX), which moved to Portland’s eastern waterfront in 2019.
The Boulos Co. represented both the tenant and the landlord in the transaction. John Finegan served as tenant representative for MOXIE Public Schools, while Drew Sigfridson and Brice O’Connor represented the landlord.
Boulos also assisted in securing a zoning amendment, which introduced schools as a permitted use within the district, making the project possible.
Pre-pandemic renovation
When MOXIE was awarded its charter in 2025, it employed Boulos to identify a location accessible via major traffic routes, close to the communities it aims to serve and adaptable for educational use with minimal modifications.
The building at 123 Darling Ave. underwent a significant pre-pandemic renovation, including a full commercial kitchen build-out and upgraded interior spaces.
“Finding the right location was critical as we worked to bring MOXIE Public Schools to life,” said Beth Rabbitt, the school’s executive director. “This building offers the accessibility, infrastructure and space we needed to support our students and staff as we begin this exciting new chapter.”
The nonprofit is governed by a volunteer board of directors. The school was created in response to declining academic outcomes and growing workforce needs, with a mission to blend rigorous academics, personalized support and real-world experiences.
The 123 Darling Ave. campus is close to public transportation and has parking on-site.
A charter school is a tuition-free, public school. Charter schools operate independently from their local districts; in exchange for greater flexibility, they are held accountable to their state, authorizer and the public for academic, financial and operational performance.
In Maine, charter schools are approved for operation and monitored for quality by the State Charter School Commission.
Flexible and adaptable
Enrollment for the fall semester hasn’t yet been finalized. But by March 17, over 90 students had applied, and about 40 more families had submitted interest, Rabbitt told Mainebiz.
“We are admitting 130 students for next fall,” she said.
At scale, with the school adding a grade per year, it’s expected to grow to 420 to 430 students from kindergarten through grade 12.
The school expects to operate with 11 employees this fall, and has hired four so far.
“We are interviewing for master teacher positions in April — and are also recruiting AmeriCorps team members for tutoring roles,” Rabbitt said.
The school has leased 45,000 square feet of the 58,902-square-foot building.
“This space is sufficient for us in the long term,” she said.
The school is working with Port City Architecture in Portland and PM Construction Co. in Saco on design and build-out.
Learning spaces are designed to be flexible and adaptable, supporting individual work, small groups and collaboration; and welcoming and calm. Goals include supporting hands-on learning, discussion and real-world connections.
Financing
MOXIE receives no public funding from the state for start-up. Once it officially enrolls students, it will receive a standard per student "essential programs and services" rate from the state.
“However, as we are opening with a smaller number of students and growing the school over time, we will need to supplement state and federal dollars with additional grants,” said Rabbitt. “To date, we have raised $1.3 million from a variety of foundations to help us open the school, and are planning to raise additional dollars to supplement our public funds during start-up/early growth.”
The plan includes raising additional funds to open future sites as well as to build innovation and wraparound support programs for students, families and educators.
Rooted in community
And the school’s name? It comes naturally.
“MOXIE was chosen as a name because we felt it is really rooted in our Maine community, both in terms of place and community spirit,” said Rabbitt.
The word likely traces back to the Abenaki language, she said, and shows up across the landscape at places like Moxie Pond, Moxie Stream and Moxie Falls.
“And then there's what the word itself has come to mean: nerve, resourcefulness, the willingness to try something hard and stay with it,” she continued. “That's the learner we're designing for and the community we're hoping to build — places where young people develop the agency, the confidence and the skills to navigate a genuinely complicated world.”
