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
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0499
Committee Amendment CA_A-HA_G_H430 (House)
Amends: 20-A MRSA §15680, 20-A MRSA §15681-A

HOUSE AMENDMENT "(}-,, 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 
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 by striking out all of Part XXXX and inserting the following: 
'PARTXXXX 
Sec. XXXX-l. 20-A MRSA §15680, sub-§l, ,A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 
504, Pt. A, §6, is amended to read: 
A. System administration. The per-pupil amount for "system administration" is the 
actual system administration expenditures, as defined in the State's accounting 
handbook for local school systems, for the most recent year available excluding 
expenditures for leases and the purchase of land and buildings, less revenues to 
system administration for services to other governments and refunds from a statewide 
school management association, divided by the average October and April enrollment 
counts for that fiscal year and then inflated to an estimated allocation year level by a 
10-year average increase in the Consumer Price Index or other comparable index~ 
Beginning in school year 2008-2009. this per-pupil amount must be based on school 
year 2005-2006 system administration expenditures then reduced by 50% and 
inflated to an estimated allocation year level by a 10-year average increase in the 
Consumer Price Index or other comparable index; 
Sec. XXXX-2. 20-A MRSA §15680, sub-§l, ~, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 
504, Pt. A, §6, is amended to read: 
B. Operation and maintenance of plant. The per-pupil amount for "operation and 
maintenance of plant" is the actual operation and maintenance of plant expenditures, 
as defined in the State's accounting handbook for local school systems, for the most 
recent year available excluding expenditures for leases and the purchase of land and 
buildings, divided by the average October and April enrollment counts for that fiscal 
year and then inflated to an estimated allocation year level by a 10-year average 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
~.r;, 
HOUSE AMENDMENT u(j- to COMMI'ITEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 383, L.D. 499 
increase in the Consumer Price Index or other comparable index. For school year 
2008-2009, the resulting per-pupiJ amount must be reduced by 5%; 
Sec. XXXX-3. 20-A MRSA §15681-A, sub-§2-A is enacted to read: 
2-A. Reduction for fiscal year 2008-09; special education. For fiscal year 2008-
09, the commissioner shall reduce by 5% the allocation for special education costs as 
described in subsection 2. 
These calculated special education costs for school 
administrative units for fiscal year 2008-09 are subject to the appeals procedure described 
in subsection 2. 
Sec. XXXX-4. 20-A MRSA §15681-A, sub-§3-A is enacted to read: 
3-A. Reduction for fiscal year 2008-09; transportation. For fiscal year 2008-09, 
the commissioner shall reduce by 5% the allocation for transportation costs as described 
in subsection 3. These calculated transportation costs for school administrative units for 
fiscal year 2008-09 are subject to the appeals procedure described in subsection 3. 
Sec. XXXX-S. Implementing legislation. The Commissioner of Education 
shall report by January 15,2008 to the Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and 
Financial Affairs and the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs 
with legislation that implements this section to consolidate the administration of school 
administrative units. 
1. 
Reduction of number of superintendents' offices; creation of regional 
administrative districts. The number of school administrative unit superintendents must 
be reduced to 80 or fewer. Each resulting regional administrative district must contain 
central office staff, business offices and special education offices for the school 
administrative units within that district. 
2. 
Consolidation of functions. 
Each regional administrative district shall 
consolidate the following functions for the school administrative districts within that 
regional administrative district: 
A. Transportation; 
B. Purchasing; 
C. Personnel services; 
D. Building maintenance services; 
E. Special education; 
F. Curriculum planning; 
G. Professional development; 
H. Legal services; and 
I. Other administrative functions as determined by the Commissioner of Education. 
All functions other than those listed in paragraphs A to I remain in the control of the local 
school board or, in the unorganized territory, the Commissioner of Education. 
3. Local control. Each school administrative district is allowed to choose other 
school administrative districts with which to consolidate for purposes. of establishing a 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
f(9t,t;, 
HOUSE AMENDMENT &" to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 383, L.D. 499 
regional administrative district. Student population is not a determinative factor. Any 
disputes between school administrative units in a regional administrative district must be 
referred to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
education matters for resolution. 
Decisions regarding key school issues, including, but not limited to, school closings, 
employment of educational personnel and union contracts, remain with the local school 
board or, in the unorganized territory, the Commissioner of Education. A local school 
board may obtain assistance from the regional administrative district if necessary. 
4. Secondary and special education. If there is not a secondary school in the 
regional administrative district, then the students in that regional administrative district 
may be sent to other school administrative units on a tuition basis. Special education 
services may be contracted out by the schools within the regional administrative district 
to a secondary school outside of the regional administrative district. 
5. Incentives for collaboration. A regional administrative district may have some 
or all of the 5% essential programs and services funding reduction restored by choosing 
collaborative classroom opportunities, distance learning opportunities or consolidating 
schools. 
The Commissioner of Education shall recommend the level of funding 
restoration to the joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
appropriations and financial affairs and education matters. 
6. Operation of regional administrative district. Each regional administrative 
district is controlled by a board made up of one delegate appointed to the regional 
administrative district board by each local school board in the regional administrative 
district. The delegate must be a member of the local school board and must be paid a 
stipend. 
The regional administrative district board must meet at least twice per month, 
with the superintendent in that regional administrative district establishing the agenda for 
each meeting. 
7. 
Operation of local school board. For any matters regarding the regional 
administrative district, the delegate from the local school board must serve as the chair. 
The superintendent of the regional administrative district in which a local school board is 
contained is not required to attend the meetings of the local school board but must select a 
local administrative delegate to attend. The local delegate must receive a stipend. 
S. Effective date. The implementing legislation must provide for an effective date 
to apply to school years beginning with the 2008-2009 school year.' 
Amend the amendment by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter 
or section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment removes that part of Committee Amendment "A" that provides for 
the reorganization of school administrative units and replaces it with a requirement that 
the Commissioner of Education report to the Joint Standing Committee on 
Appropriations and Financial Affairs and the Joint Standing Committee on Education and 
Cultural Affairs with legislation that creates no more than 80 regional administrative 
districts. 
The purpose of a regional administrative district is to consolidate certain 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
f(9t,~ 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 'G "to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 383, L.D. 499 
functions for groups of school administrative units such as transportation, purchasing, 
personnel, building maintenance, special education, curriculum planning, professional 
development and legal services. Decision making for other functions continues to reside 
with local school boards. School administrative units are free to choose with whom to 
consolidate. 
This amendment maintains the reductions in funding for administration, special 
education, building maintenance and transportation as proposed in Committee 
Amendment itA," but school administrative districts, as regional administrative districts, 
that collaborate on classroom and distance learning opportunities or consolidate schools 
may get back an amount up to the reduction, as determined by the Commissioner of 
Education. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(see_a~~ 
SPONSORED BY: ~ 
(Representative MAC 
ALD) 
TOWN: Boothbay 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
• 
Approved: 06/04/07 ;'t1?ae.. 
LD499 
LR2452(12) 
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 House Amendment "G " to Committee Amendment" A" 
Sponsor: Rep. MacDonald of Boothbay 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
No net fiscal impact 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
This amendment has no net General Fund impact during the 2008-2009 biennium and a balance budget is maintained. 
LR2452(l2) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1