Resolve, To Reduce the Number of School Administrative Units and Gain Administrative Efficiencies
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0370
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: TURNER, NORTON, BOWMAN, MILLS, ROTUNDO, MILLETT, STRANG BURGESS

Legislative Document 
No. 370 
S.P.114 
January 25, 2007 
Resolve, To Reduce the Number of School Administrative Units and 
Gain Administrative Efficiencies 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Senator TURNER of Cumberland. 
Cosponsored by Representative NORTON of Bangor and 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senators: BOWMAN of York, MILLS of Somerset, ROTUNDO of Androscoggin, 
Representatives: MILLETT of Waterford, STRANG BURGESS of Cumberland. 
Printt:d no recycled paper 
I 
Sec. 1. 
Consolidation of school administration. 
Resolved: 
That the 
Committee to Consolidate School Administration, referred to in this resolve as "the 
committee," is established to consolidate the administration of public education in the 
State and present its consolidated school administration plan to the Legislature for 
adoption. 
1. Committee members. The committee consists of the following II members: 
A. 
Two former Legislators appointed by vote of the Legislative Council, one 
representing the political party with the highest number of members of the 
Legislature and one representing the party with the second-highest number of 
members of the Legislature; and 
B. The following 9 members appointed by the Governor: 
(1) A former Commissioner of Education; 
(2) Two former superintendents of public schools in the State, one with suburban 
administrative experience and one with rural administrative experience; 
(3) Two former principals of public schools in this State, one with suburban 
administrative experience and one with rural administrative experience; 
(4) Two former teachers in public schools in this State, one with suburban 
teaching experience and one with rural teaching experience; 
(5) A former State Board of Education member; and 
(6) A former chief executive officer of a publicly traded company headquartered 
in this State, who shall serve as chair of the committee. 
2. Plan parameters. In developing its consolidated school administration plan, the 
committee shall work within the following parameters. 
A. All school administrative units in existence on the effective date of this resolve 
and all of their governing bodies and administration must be abolished under the 
plan. 
For purposes of this paragraph, "school administrative unit" includes 
community school districts, career and technical education regions, municipal school 
units, school administrative districts, school unions, special school districts and union 
schools as those terms are defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 
and any other municipal or quasi-municipal corporation responsible for operating or 
constructing public schools. The plan may not displace teachers or students or close 
any schools existing on the effective date of this resolve. 
B. The plan must consolidate administrative functions, duties and personnel. The 
plan must provide and the committee shall determine boundaries for new school 
administrative units. Under the plan: 
(1) 
The average school administrative unit must be in the range of 2,000 to 
2,200 students; and 
(2) Each school administrative unit must consist of a municipality or a new 
school administrative district. 
C. Each school administrative unit must have a school board with up to 9 members. 
The plan must provide and the committee shall determine boundaries for school 
board seats within school administrative districts based on population so that school 
boards provide proportional representation. 
D. The committee shall include in the plan a statewide business entity and regional 
business entities to further the consolidation of administrative functions. 
The 
statewide business entity would provide services and perform functions on a 
statewide basis, such as, but not limited to, payroll. The regional business entities, 
which may be established using the career and technical education regions in 
existence on the effective date of this resolve, would provide services and perform 
functions on a regional basis, such as, but not limited to, transportation maintenance, 
transportation scheduling and purchasing. 
E. The plan developed by the committee to create school administrative units must 
consider transportation patterns; physical proximity and ease of physical connectivity 
for resource sharing; and increased academic opportunity. 
3. 
Plan submission. 
The committee shall submit its plan and the necessary 
implementing legislation to the Legislature by December 3,2007. 
4. 
Staff. The Department of Education, the State Board of Education and the 
Legislative Council shall provide staff to the committee; and be it further 
Sec. 2. Transition. Resolved: That the following provisions apply during the 
transition to the consolidated school administration plan. 
1. Plan implementation. The period of July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008 is the period 
during which the transition from the administrative structure that exists on the effective 
date of this resolve to full implementation of the new consolidated school administration 
plan authorized under section 1 must occur. 
2. Election of new school board members. Elections for school board members 
must be held at a statewide election held in June 2008. 
3. Debt. Any debt that is incurred by a school administrative unit and that exists on 
the date the plan takes effect remains with the municipalities of the entity that incurred 
the debt. 
4. Advisory committees. Schools that are absorbed into new school administrative 
unit structures under the consolidated school administration plan may create school 
advisory committees to provide advice and counsel to school principals; and be it further 
Sec. 3. Legislative intent. Resolved: That the Legislature intends that the 
consolidated school administration plan submitted to it by the committee pursuant to this 
resolve become law in substantively the same form as it is submitted. 
SUMMARY 
This resolve establishes a mechanism to consolidate the business side of providing 
kindergarten to grade 12 educational services while leaving in place schools, teachers and 
students. The resolve establishes the Committee to Consolidate School Administration to 
develop a plan that eliminates current administrative education units and their governing 
boards and administration and redraws the boundaries of those units. Under the plan a 
school administrative unit may consist of a municipality or a new school administrative 
district and will, on average, serve a range of 2,000 to 2,200 students. New school boards 
will be elected in June of 2008, which is the last month of the transition period into the 
new consolidated school administration plan.