An Act Making Unified Appropriations and Allocations for the Expenditures of State Government, General Fund and Other Funds, and Changing Certain II Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper Operations of State Government for the Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2008 and June 30, 2009
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0499
Committee Amendment CA_A-SA_S_S226 (Senate)

SENATE AMENDMENT" S" to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 383, 
L.D. 499, Bill, "An Act Making Unified Appropriations and Allocations for the 
Expenditures of State Government, General Fund and Other Funds, and Changing Certain 
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Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper Operations of State Government for the 
Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2008 and June 30, 2009" 
Amend the amendment in Part XXXX by inserting after section 46 the following: 
'Sec. XXXX-47. Super union configuration. The Department of Education 
shall develop 2 board structures to govern school unions, the consolidation of school 
unions or the consolidation of a school union and a school district, which configuration is 
called a "super union." The department shall structure the governance of a super union 
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by both a super union committee and individual local school committees. Each of the 2 
structures must have separate and distinct functions. 
1. Super union committee. Under the structure developed by the department, the 
super union committee must be structured in accordance with this subsection. The super 
union committee is composed of the board chairs or other designated board members 
from each of the individual local school committees with a weighted vote that is exactly 
the same as current joint union committees. The local committee members make up the 
super union committee. The functions of the super union committee are: 
A. To cooperatively employ a superintendent and necessary support staff; 
B. To develop and recommend common policies for all schools in the super union; 
C. To develop and approve a budget that supports all centralized services common to 
the entire super union. The services may include but are not limited to: 
(1) Financial management; 
(2) Human resources management; 
(3) Joint purchasing; 
(4) Contract bargaining; 
(5) Recruitment of school employees; 
(6) Plant and facilities management; 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
SENATE AMENDMENT" S" to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 383, L.D. 499 
(7) Technology management; 
(8) Federal grant management; 
(9) Curriculum coordination; 
(10) Professional development and planning and coordination; 
(11) Coordination of distance learning and Internet course coordination; 
(12) Itinerant teacher plan; 
(13) Special education management; 
(14) Special education specialists; 
(15) Gifted and talented program management; and 
(16) Budget preparation for all municipalities in the super union. 
The super union committee shall evaluate the superintendent. The superintendent shall 
meet with the super union committee on a monthly basis. The superintendent shall meet 
the local school committees to present budgets, nominate teachers and principals and 
advise on legal matters. The building principal in each school shall meet and report to the 
local school committee on a regular basis. 
2. Local school committees. Under the structure developed by the department, the 
local school committees must be responsible for the following: 
A. Adopting recommended policies from the super union committee; 
B. Reviewing and adopting textbooks and courses of study recommended by the 
super union committee; 
C. Preparing and adopting an annual school budget; 
D. School facility planning; 
E. Communicating with the public; and 
F. Holding hearings on matters such as employee dismissals or student expulsions. 
Local school committees that have no school in their municipalities shall meet with the 
superintendent or the superintendent's designee to develop and approve a local school 
budget; hear potential or existing community concerns; and hear reports on student 
performance. 
The majority of local school committee meetings must be with the local building 
principal and members of the public. 
3. Local building principal. Under the structure developed by the department, the 
local building principal must be responsible for the following: 
A. Informing committee members of all school functions; 
B. Informing committee members of the status of school initiatives; 
C. Informing committee members of curriculum development progress; 
D. Informing committee members of levels of student achievement; 
E. Informing committee members of Department of Education initiatives; 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
SENATE AMENDMENT "S" to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 383, L.D. 499 
F. Scheduling student and teacher presentations for the committee members; 
G. Reporting on the condition of the physical plant; 
H. Reporting on possible grant opportunities; 
I. Recommending staffing assignments; 
J. Presenting the school calendar for committee approval; 
K. Informing the committee of all professional development activities; and 
L. Distributing monthly written reports from the superintendent. 
The Department of Education shall submit the proposed board structures together with 
any necessary implementing legislation to the Joint Standing Committee on Education 
and Cultural Affairs no later than January IS, 2008. Following receipt and review of the 
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report, the joint standing committee may submit legislation to the Second Regular 
Session of the 123rd Legislature.' 
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Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
IS 
SUMMARY 
This amendment requires the Department of Education to develop 2 board structures 
to govern school unions, the consolidation of school unions or the consolidation of a 
school union and a school district and to report back to the Joint Standing Committee on 
Education and Cultural Affairs. 
SPONSORED BY: 
(Senator RA YE) 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
~t~ 
COUNTY: Washington 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/04/07 frac:.. 
LD499 
LR 2452(49) 
An Act Making Unified Appropriations and Allocations for the Expenditures of State Government, 
General Fund and Other Funds, and Changing Certain Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper 
Operations of State Government for the Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2008 and June 30, 2009 
Fiscal Note for Senate Amendment" J " to Committee Amendment "A" 
Sponsor: Sen. Raye of Washington 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
No net fiscal impact 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
This amendment does not affect General Fund appropriations during the 2008-2009 biennium and a balanced budget is 
maintained. 
LR2452( 49) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1