[Local-Maine-Schools] LR 3491: Education Committee Bill 'B'

[Brian Hubbell]

For more information see:
http://mdischools.net/#mostrecent

Also note updated chart for LD 1932:
http://mdischools.net/LD1932_amendments_chart.htm
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LR 3491: Education Committee Bill 'B'

SUMMARY

            This bill is introduced by the Joint Standing Committee on
Education and Cultural Affairs pursuant to Public Law 2007, Chapter
240, Section XXXX-47.  The bill proposes to make the following changes
to fully implement the laws governing the formation of regional school
units.

1.  It provides an exemption for those regional school units -- where
the regional school unit board has approved a budget that proposes to
spend less than 5% above the level of funding outlined in the
essential programs and services funding model -- from the budget
validation referendum process until the regional school unit board
proposes a budget that meets or exceeds that funding level.

2.  It provides an exemption for municipal school units from the
budget validation referendum process in cases where the municipal
charter defines roles and process for developing and approving the
school budget.

3.  It provides an exemption for efficient, high-performing school
units that provide kindergarten to grade 12 public education where all
schools in the school unit qualify as efficient, high-performing
schools and meet the requirement that the fiscal year 2005-06
administrative spending for the school unit is less than 4% of its
total spending.  It also provides these qualifying school units an
extension to file for an alternative plan under this exemption until
August 31, 2008.

4.  It replaces the so-called "53.86%" penalty for any school
administrative unit that fails to approve a reorganization plan on or
before November 4, 2008 and to implement that plan by July 1, 2009
with a penalty that provides that the school administrative unit's
full-value education mill rate pursuant to Maine Revised Statutes,
Title 20-A, section 15671-A is increased by 2% for the purpose of
calculating the school administrative unit's required contribution to
meet the local share of education costs established pursuant to Maine
Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 15688, subsection 3-A.