[Local-Maine-Schools] Fwd: LD 1274 work session

[Dick Atlee]

Since I'm forwarding this in plain text with no color capability, the 
new material will be in brackets, the deleted material begin/ends-with 
"xxxxx"

Dick

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	LD 1274 work session
Date: 	Wed, 11 May 2011 10:33:24 -0400
From: 	ricchard gould <perf3170rag at myfairpoint.net>

Good morning.

LD 1274 was worked yesterday by the ed committee.  An amendment was
presented to the committee which changes the bill substantially.  I have
included the amendment below.  The yellow is the new wording and the red
is what has been deleted.  After much discussion they tabled the bill to
next week so the could get more information

The amendment removes the federal Title 1 section from the bill.

The suggestion is the use some of the increase in funding proposed for
the next fical year to help pay for the bill.

There is also some question about the fiscal note attached to the bill.

Any questions, let me know

Dick Gould
MSSC



LD 1274 An Act To Restore Equity in Education Funding

SUMMARY

This [amendment to the] bill amends several provisions of the Essential
Programs and Services Funding Act to more equitably allocate state funds
that are appropriated for essential programs and services. The amendment
to the bill makes the following changes.

1. It amends the definition of "property fiscal capacity" in order to
base the local school administrative unit's fiscal capacity on the most
recent certified state valuation or the average of the certified state
valuation for the 3 years prior to the most recently certified state
valuation, whichever is lower. This change provides a more accurate
determination of a school administrative unit's fiscal capacity while
protecting those school administrative units that are experiencing
increasing property valuation.

2. It amends the staffing ratios established to determine the
calculation of salary and benefit costs for school-level staff positions
by providing a 10% reduction in the staffing ratios for school
administrative units with a total school population of less than 1,200
students. This change recognizes that school administrative units with
fewer than 1,200 students still have to provide certain levels of
instruction, support and administrative positions that do not conform to
the existing staffing ratios, which are based on enrollment assumptions
that do not apply to approved smaller school administrative units.

xxxxx
3. It amends the EPS per-pupil rate calculated by the Commissioner of
Education for each school administrative unit by removing the reduction
of federal Title I funds from the calculation for teacher salaries and
benefit costs. This change reflects the fact that federal Title I
funding is one of several sources of revenue that are allocated to
school administrative units and expended to support essential programs
and services.
xxxxx

[3.  Beginning in fiscal year 2012-2013, it amends the additional weights
to be applied to the per-pupil count for economically disadvantaged
students in a school administrative unit from 0.15 to 0.25]

4. [Beginning in fiscal year 2012-2013, it] amends the regional adjustment
in the total operating allocation for school administrative units based
on the regional differences in teacher salary costs for the labor market
areas in which school administrative units are located by removing the
benefits costs for teachers and other school-level staff from the
calculation of salary costs. This change addresses the inequitable
treatment of school administrative units with lower teacher salary costs
relative to statewide averages due to local economic circumstances.