An Act To Establish a School Leadership District for East Millinocket, Medway and Millinocket (AFTER DEADLINE)
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1956
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: STANLEY, DUPREY, DAMON, CLARK, SUSLOVIC

Legislative Document 
No. 1956 
S.P.798 
In Senate, AprilS, 2004 
An Act To Establish a School Leadership District for East 
Millinocket, Medway and Millinocket 
(AFTER DEADLINE) 
(EMERGENCY) 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
205. 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Senator STANLEY of Penobscot. 
Cosponsored by Representative DUPREY of Medway and 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senator: DAMON of Hancock, Representatives: CLARK of Millinocket, McLAUGHLIN of 
Cape Elizabeth, SUSLOVIC of Portland. 
Printed on recycled paper 
• 
Emergency preamble. Whereas. Acts of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted 
as emergencies; and 
Whereas, this 
legislation 
establishes 
School 
Leadership 
District #1; and 
Whereas, in order for the affected towns to have sufficient 
time to vote on and establish School Leadership District #1, it 
is 
imperative 
that this legislation take effect as 
soon 
as 
possible; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts 
create an emergency wi thin the meaning of the Constitution of 
Maine 
and 
require 
the 
following 
legislation 
as 
immediately 
necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and 
safety; now, therefore, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 
School Leadership District #1 established. 
established School Leadership District #1, 
referred 
Act as "SLD #1." 
There 
is 
to in this 
Sec. 2. 
Composition of SLD #1. 
SLD 
#1 
consists 
of 
the 
municipalities 
of 
East 
Millinocket, 
Medway 
and 
Millinocket, 
referred to in this Act as "the participating municipalities." 
Sec. 3. Formation. 
SLD 
#1 becomes operational only upon an 
affirmative vote by a majority of the residents voting in each 
participating municipality. 
Sec. 4. Period of operation. 
The period of operation of SLD #1 
is from July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2009 unless extended prior to 
June 30, 2009 by affirmative vote by a majority of the residents 
voting in each participating municipality. 
Sec. 5. SLD #1 board. 
SLD 
#1 
is governed 
by 
a 
board, 
referred to in this Act as "the board," as specified in this 
section. 
1. 
Composition. 
The board consists of 15 members, 
from 
each participating municipality's school board. 
2. 
Quorum. 
A quorum exists when there are at least 
members present, including the chair or vice-chair. 
3. 
Voting. 
Each member 
is entitled to 
one vote. 
Any 
action of the board requires a consensus of those members present 
and voting. 
If consensus on an action can not be achieved after 
votes on that action, then a majority of at least 9 members, 
with at least 
members 
from each participating municipality 
voting in favor of the action, is necessary to approve the action. 
4. 
Duties. 
The board shall: 
A. 
Meet annually in December on a day and at a place agreed 
upon by the chairs of the school boards of the participating 
municipalities; 
B. 
Elect officers of the board, consisting of 
a 
chair, 
vice-chair and secretary. 
Each of the officers must be from 
a different participating municipality; 
c. 
Hire a superintendent at the first meeting of the board 
or as soon as possible thereafter and whenever a vacancy 
occurs. 
The superintendent must be hired for a term of at 
least 30 months but no longer than 66 months; 
D. 
Adopt 
annually 
a 
budget 
for 
the 
operation of 
the 
superintendent's office for the next fiscal year; 
E. 
that 
the 
Authorize the superintendent 
the superintendent determines 
educational needs of 
SLD 
~l, 
constraints; 
F. 
Adopt policies for SLD #1; 
G. 
Adopt the curriculum for SLD #1; 
to employ support staff 
necessary 
consistent 
to carry out 
with budget 
H. 
Adopt a 5-year program and 5-year financial plans, with 
annual reviews, for SLD 
~l; 
I. 
Provide 
annual 
evaluations 
to 
the 
superintendent 
concerning the performance of the superintendent; 
J. 
Determine 
the 
apportionment 
of 
costs 
among 
the 
participating municipalities in accordance with section 7, 
subsection 2; and 
K. 
Establish committees for those specific areas determined 
necessary 
by 
the 
board, 
such 
as 
budget, 
finance, 
negotiations, curriculum and policy review. 
Each committee 
must 
include 
one 
member 
from 
each 
participating 
municipali ty' s school board, appointed to the committee by 
that school board. 
The chair of the board, or a designee of 
the chair, 
and the superintendent, or 
a 
designee of the 
superintendent, 
serve 
ex 
officio 
on 
any 
committee 
established pursuant to this paragraph. 
Sec. 6. Budgets; submission to participating municipalities; defeat. 
Each participating municipality's school board shall develop a 
budget for that school board's costs, debt service and retired 
employee obligations. 
Budgets developed pursuant to this section 
and 
by 
the 
board 
must 
be 
submitted 
to 
the 
participating 
municipalities 
in 
a 
form 
consistent with 
each participating 
municipality's budget procedures. 
If a budget is defeated in one 
or more of the participating municipalities, the board may: 
1. 
Reduce budget. 
Reduce the total budget by an amount 
that reflects both the decrease in the budget and the amount 
approved by any other participating municipalities. 
The amount, 
if any, approved by the other participating municipality may be 
set aside as a fund balance for the ensuing fiscal year; 
2. 
Resubmit budget. 
If the board determines 
that the 
budget reduction produced by the action under subsection 1 would 
cause the educational programs to fail to meet the needs of the 
students, 
the board may direct the participating municipality 
that defeated the budget to reconsider the original budget; or 
3. 
Revise and resubmit budget. 
Reduce the overall budget 
and submit the reduced budget to the participating municipality 
that defeated the original budget. 
Sec. 7. 
Division of costs. 
The 
costs 
of 
SLD 
#1 
must 
be 
apportioned among the participating municipalities as follows. 
1. 
Superintendent. 
The costs of the 
superintendent and the operational costs of 
superintendent 
must 
be 
shared 
equally 
by 
municipalities. 
employment of the 
the office of the 
the 
participating 
2. 
Other costs. 
All other costs, including but not limited 
to regular instruction, including teacher salaries and benefits, 
guidance, 
transportation, 
vocational 
education, 
special 
education, 
student 
activities 
and 
library 
and 
school 
administration, 
must 
be 
apportioned 
among 
the 
participating 
municipalities as a percentage and based on: 
A. 
The average of the property values in each participating 
municipality, as determined by the State; 
B. 
The population of each participating municipality, as 
determined by the most recent census estimate; and 
C. 
The 
enrollment 
of 
participating municipality, 
residents 
in 
as determined 
SLD 
by 
#l 
the 
of 
each 
previous 
October 1st enrollment report submitted to the Department of 
Education. 
Sec. 8. Power to borrow money. 
The board may borrow money to 
pay for the current operating expenses as long as the loans are 
repaid within 
months 
of 
the 
date 
of 
borrowing 
and 
the 
borrowing is limited to an amount reasonably required for the 
operating expenses of the year for which the money is borrowed. 
Sec. 9. Leases. 
The board may enter into leases for the 
purchase of equipment and services. The leasing period may not 
exceed the useful life of the equipment or services being leased. 
Sec. 
10. 
Assistance 
from 
Department 
of Education. 
The 
Department of Education shall provide training for administrative 
staff 
and 
teacher 
leaders 
in 
the 
implementation 
of 
teacher-directed instructional improvement, including assessment, 
innovative use of community resources and curriculum development. 
Sec. 11. Appropriation. 
An appropriation equal to the amount 
recommended under the essential programs 
and services funding 
plan for technology must be made available in fiscal year 2004-05 
to be used exclusively for technology, including equipment, staff 
development, consultation and supplies. The appropriation must be 
based on total resident kindergarten to grade 12 enrollment of 
East Millinocket, Medway and Millinocket as of April 1, 2004. 
Sec. 12. Loss of foundation allocation aid. 
The 
Legislature 
agrees to hold the participating municipalities harmless 
from 
loss of the foundation allocation aid for fiscal year 2004-05 to 
assist the participating municipalities in the transition from 
operating as individual units to participating in SLD #1. Funding 
for subsequent years must be consistent with laws enacted by the 
Legislature. 
Sec. 13. Grant for programs. 
A 3-year grant in an amount 
equal to 1/2 of the per pupil guarantee multiplied by the number 
of students preregistered for the fall kindergarten classes as of 
April 1, 2004 must be made available to SLD #1 for the support of 
all-day kindergarten programs, home-based preschool programs and 
public and private center-based preschool programs in fiscal year 
2004-05. 
The original amount of the grant is reduced by 50<).0 in 
fiscal year 2005-06 and 75% in fiscal year 2006-07. 
Sec. 14. Tuition. 
Tuition in SLD 
U 
must be based on the 
aggregate costs for elementary and secondary education. 
Sec. 15. Assignment of students to schools. 
may be assigned by the superintendent to 
offering grade-appropriate education. 
Students in SLD 
#1 
any of the schools 
Sec. 16. Establishment of account. 
SLD 
#1 
may establish a 
separate account for payment of obligations of the district. The 
superintendent shall serve as the treasurer and shall meet all 
requirements as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 
20-A, section 1251, subsection 5. 
Sec. 17. Efficiency studies. 
The Department of Education, 
SLD 
#1 and other institutions as agreed upon by the department and 
the board shall conduct studies on the efficacy of SLD 
#1 in 
providing 
cost-effective 
educational 
services 
and 
other 
efficiency agreements engaged in pursuant to the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 20-A, section 8. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the 
preamble, this Act takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
This 
bill 
establishes 
School 
Leadership 
District 
#1, 
comprising the municipalities of East Millinocket, 
Medway 
and 
Millinocket. 
The 
new district is 
a 
5-year pilot project of 
school restructuring as a means of more effectively meeting the 
learning needs 
and improving the 
academic performance of all 
students as sanctioned by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, 
section 8. 
This district will be governed by a board consisting 
of the school boards currently in East Millinocket, Medway and 
Millinocket. 
The 
board 
of 
SLD 
#1 
is 
established 
and 
is 
authorized to hire 
a 
superintendent, 
establish 
a 
budget 
and 
curriculum and enter into lending and leasing agreements. 
The 
costs of employment of the superintendent are divided equally 
among 
the 
participating municipalities; 
all other 
costs 
are 
apportioned 
among 
the 
participating 
municipalities 
based 
on 
property values, population and student enrollment.