An Act to Promote the Coordination of School Calendars for Career and Technical Education Students (NEW DRAFT OF H.P. 154, L.D. 195) (NEW TITLE)
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1946
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs and
Sponsors: ASH, BROWNE, DUGAY, PELLON, TARDY, TOBIN
Amends: 20-A MRSA §4801

Legislative Document 
No. 1946 
H.P.1446 
House of Representatives, March 30, 2004 
An Act to Promote the Coordination of School Calendars for Career 
and Technical Education Students 
(NEW DRAFT OF H.P. 154, L.D. 195) 
(NEW TITLE) 
Reported by Representative CUMMINGS of Portland from the Committee on Education 
and Cultural Affairs and printed under Joint Rule 310.4. 
n;~ 
/??11lOL:~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Original bill sponsored by Representative McGOWAN of Pittsfield. 
Cosponsored by Representatives: ASH of Belfast, BROWNE of Vassalboro, DUGAY of 
Cherryfield, McGLOCKLIN of Embden, PELLON of Machias, TARDY of Newport, TOBIN 
of Dexter. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Mandate preamble. 
This measure requires one or more local 
units of government to expand or modify activities so as 
to 
necessitate additional expenditures from local revenues but does 
not provide funding for at least 90% 
of those expenditures. 
Pursuant to the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 2l, 
2/3 of all of the members elected to each House have determined 
it necessary to enact this measure. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §4801, sub-§2-A is enacted to read: 
2-A. 
Regional school calendars: plan: rules. 
Each school 
administrative unit shall work with affiliated units, as defined 
in section 830l-A, 
subsection 1, in its career and technical 
center or school administrative units in its career and technical 
region to develop and approve a regional school calendar that 
aligns the school calendars of sending schools with the school 
calendars of career and technical education programs 
in the 
region. 
The plan for a regional school calendar must meet the 
following requirements. 
A. 
There may not be more than 9 dissimilar instructional 
days within each regional calendar. 
B. 
When career and technical centers or regions overla2..L 
there must be common calendars for each of the schools in 
those overlapping areas. 
C. 
The authority for approving the regional school calendar 
must 
be 
within 
the 
school 
boards 
of 
the 
local 
school 
administrative units. 
D. 
Regional 
school 
calendars 
may 
have 
provisions 
for 
waivers of the number of dissimilar days for extenuating 
circumstances. 
E. 
Plans for regional school calendars must be approved and 
implemented in time for the 2005-2006 school year. 
The commissioner shall adopt rules to establish requirements for 
regional 
school 
calendars. 
Rules 
adopted 
pursuant 
to 
this 
subsection are major substantive rules pursuant to Title 
5, 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
SUMMARY 
This bill was reported out "Ought To Pass in New Draft" by 
the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs as 
Page l-LR0309(2) 
authorized by the Presiding Officers in accordance with Joint 
Rule 310, subsection 4. 
The bill adds a mandate preamble. 
The 
bill requires school administrative units to develop and approve 
plans for a regional school calendar by September 2005. 
The bill 
also directs the 
Commissioner 
of Education to 
develop major 
substantive rules to implement these regional school calendars 
for sending schools and career and technical education programs 
in the State. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
State Mandate 
New or Expanded Activity 
Approved: 03/18/04 ~ac 
Office of Fiscal and Program Review 
LD xxxx - New Draft of LD 195 
An Act to Promote the Coordination of School Calendars for Applied 
Technology Education Students 
LR 0309(02) 
New Draft of LD 195 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current Cost - State Mandate 
Unit Affected 
Costs 
Requiring school administrative units to develop and approve a regional plan for a 
common school calendar by September 2005 is a mandate. The cost to each school 
administrative unit can not be determined at this time but is not expected to be 
significant. 
School 
Insignificant 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Additional costs to the Department of Education associated with rulemakiug can be absorbed utilizing existing budgeted 
resources. 
LR0309(2) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1