An Act To Equalize the Tax Burden for Education across Municipalities of the Lower Kennebec River Region Authorized To Form a Regional School Unit Pursuant to Private and Special Law 2007, Chapter 25
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 2028
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: PERCY, BENOIT, WATSON

Legislative Document 
No. 2028 
H.P. 1412 
House of Representatives, December 21,2007 
An Act To Equalize the Tax Burden for Education across 
Municipalities of the Lower Kennebec River Region Authorized To 
Form a Regional School Unit Pursuant to Private and Special Law 
2007, Chapter 25 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203. 
Recei ved by the Clerk of the House on December 19, 2007. Referred to the Committee on 
Education and Cultural Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to 
Joint Rule 401. 
Presented by Representative PERCY of Phippsburg. 
Cosponsored by Senator BENOIT of Sagadahoc and 
Representative: WATSON of Bath. 
Printed on recycled paper 
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1I7.1l}u~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. P&SL 2007, c. 25, §ll-A is enacted to read: 
Sec. ll-A. Equalized tax burdens. In any year in which a municipality in the 
district anticipates a year-to-year reduction in local tax burden for schools, it shall raise 
an amount equal to 1/2 of those anticipated tax reductions and make that amount 
available for redistribution to municipalities in the district that anticipate year-to-year 
local tax increases for education. Such funds must be distributed based 113 on valuation, 
on student population and 113 on resident population among those qualifying 
municipalities that anticipate increases until each of those municipalities anticipates no 
change from the prior year or until funds are exhausted. Municipalities receiving funds 
II 
under this mechanism shall apply all of those funds to their contribution to the district, 
thereby reducing or eliminating the overall tax increase for schools to their citizens. 
In no case may more funds from tax reductions be captured for redistribution 
according to this section than are needed to eliminate tax increases for schools in all the 
other municipalities of the district. 
Sec. 2. P&SL 2007, c. 25, §I8-A is enacted to read: 
Sec. I8-A. School choice; municipality joining after district formation. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the district, in order to offer consistent 
options to all of its students, may opt to limit school choice for students of municipalities 
that join the district after its initial date of consolidation, even if the municipality offered 
choice prior to the municipality's joining the district. The board of directors for the 
district may authorize grand fathering or any other legal method to ease the transition of 
the students and families of such later-joining municipalities. 
SUMMARY 
This bill enacts a mechanism to equalize the tax burden for education across 
municipalities authorized to regionalize in the lower Kennebec River area pursuant to 
Private and Special Law 2007, chapter 25. The bill also authorizes limiting choice for 
students from municipalities that join the district after the initial date of consolidation. 
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