An Act To. Establish the Middle School of Science and Mathematics
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1295
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: SCHATZ, BERRY
Amends: 5 MRSA §12004-C, 20-A MRSA §8484

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE 
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124th MAl E LEGISLATURE 
FIRST REGULAR SESSIOr-~-2009 
Legislative Document 
No. 1295 
H.P.·898 
House of Representatives, March 31, 2009 
An Act To. Establish the Middle School of Science and Mathematics 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative SCHATZ of Blue Hill. 
Cosponsored by Representative: BERRY of Bowdoinham. 
Printed on recycled p41per 
~~ 
1n.1llac~{ 
. MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §12004-C, sub-§8 is enacted to read: 
8. 
Board of Trustees, Middle 
School of Science and 
Mathematics 
Expenses Only 
Sec. 2. 20 .. A MRSA c. 314 is enacted to read: 
CHAPTER 314 
20-A MRSA §8484 
MIDDLE SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS 
§8481. School established 
II 
The Middle Scho'ol of Science and Mathematics is established as a .public, chartered 
school pursuant to this chapter for the purpose of providing certain students from 4th 
grade to 9th grade with a challenging educational experience with an emphasis on math 
and science. The school is a body politic and corporate and is an instrumentality and 
agency of the State. The exercise by the school of the powers conferred by this chapter is 
the performance of an essential public function by and on behalf of the State. 
§8482. Intent; funding 
The school is established as a public school located on the Blue Hill peninsula and 
the following provisions apply. 
. 
1. 
Curriculum. 
The school's curriculum is designed to exceed existing state 
educational standards in the content areas of the statewide system of learning results 
established in section 6209. 
2. Tuition; funding. Students from the region may attend the school free of tuition 
charges. Funding for students from the region is provided as follows. 
A.For each pupil enrolled during the year of allocation, the State shall provide to the 
school the adjusted tuition and insured value factor amount that is calculated by 
multiplying the regional average tuition and regional average insured value factor 
amount by 1.6. 
This amount must be provided in 4· equal payments, and the 
payments must be made quarterly during the year of attendance. The first payment 
for the school year must be made by August 31 st. The total amount provided for all 
pupils is limited to the amount appropriated for this purpose. 
. 
§8483. Definitions 
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms 
have the following meanings. 
Page I -124LRI866(OI)-1 
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1. Board of trustees; "Board of trustees" means the Board of Trustees of the Middle 
School of Science and Mathematics. 
2. Chartered school. "Chartered school" means that the school may establish rules 
that delete, modify or add to current rules of the department. 
. 
3. Region. "Region" means the area within a radius of25 miles of the school. 
4. 
School. 
"School" means the Middle School of Science and Mathematics 
established under section 8481. 
·8 
5. Trustee. "Trustee" means a member of the board of trustees. 
§8484. Board of trustees 
The Board of Trustees of the Middle School of Science and Mathematics as 
established in Title 5, section 12004-C, subsection 8 is the policy-making authority and 
. the governing body of the school. 
1. Membership. In appointing trustees to the board of trustees, the Governor shall 
give proper consideration to achieving regional representation and gender equity. The 
board of trustees consists of 9 voting members and 2 nonvoting members as follows: 
A. The Commissioner of Education or the commissioner's designee; 
B. Two members who are principals or heads of school of middle schools in the 
region, appointed by the Governor; 
C. 
One membei' who is a school superintendent in the region,· appointed by the 
Governor; 
D. One member who is a citizen of the town in which the school is located and has 
an active interest in education, appointed by the Governor; 
. 
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E. 
Two members who are citizens of the region and have an active interest in 
education, appointed by the Governor; 
F. Two members who are teachers, one of whom is a teacher at the school who is a 
nonvoting member and· is annually elected by members of the school's faculty and 
one of whom is a teacher in another school located in the region, appointed by the 
Governor; 
G. One student member who has been elected as the presiding officer of the student 
body at the school; and 
H. The superintendent of the school, who serves as the clerk of the board.oftrustees 
and isa nonvoting member. 
2. Chair. The board of trustees shall choose annually one trustee to serve as chair. 
3. Meetings. The board of trustees shall meet at least 4 times a year at regular 
intervals. 
4. Quorum.' A quorum for the transaction of business of the board of trustees is 
constituted by the trustees in attendance, and all official actions of the board of trustees 
require a majority vote of those trustees present and voting. 
5. Compensation. Trustees are compensated pursuant to Title 5; section 12004-C, 
subsection 8. 
6. Terms. The terms of the trustees who are appointed by the Governor are for 4 
years unless otherwise designate,? Trustees may be appointed for consecutive terms. 
§8485. Powers and duties of the board of trustees 
The powers and duties of the board of trustees include the following: 
1. Policies. To develop and adopt policies and rules necessary for the operation of 
the school; 
. 
2. Administration. To oversee the administration of the school, including the hiring 
of teachers and administrative support staff; 
3. Financial management. To accept donations, bequests or other forms of financial 
assistance for any educational purpose from a public or priVate person or agency and to 
comply with rules and regulations governing grants from the Federal Government or from 
any other person or agency; 
4. Budget development. To prepare and adopt an annual budget for the operation of 
the school and to exercise budgetary responsibility and allocate for expenditure by the 
school and programs under its jurisdiction all the resources available for the operation of 
the school and its programs; 
5. 
Indemnification. To indemnify the trustees, officers, teaching staff· and 
employees affiliated with the school and to purchase and maintain insurance to indemnify 
any such person to the extent provided in Title 13-B, section 714;' 
6. Bonds. To require security for the faithful perfonnance of duties by the officers, 
trustees, employees and other agents of the school who are entrusted with the custody of 
the school securities or authorized to disburse the funds of the school. The security must 
consist of a bond, either a blanket bond or individual bond with a surety bond, or bonds 
having a minimum limitation of $100,000 coverage for each insured person. The expense 
of a bond is assumed by the school; 
7. Property management.' To acquire by purchase any property, lands, buildings, 
. 
structures, facilities or equipment and make improvements to facilities necessary to fulfill 
the purposes of this chapter; 
. 
8. Courses of study. To offer courses of study; 
9. Contracts and agreements. To ente( into any contracts and agreements, to the 
extent that funds are available, in the execution of its powers under this chapter; 
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10. Delegation. To delegate duties and responsibilities as necessary for the efficient 
operation of this chapter; 
11. 
Criteria for enrollment. 
To establish criteria to be used in determining 
eligibility of applicants for enrollment. The criteria must include methods of ensuring 
gender equity for students selected; 
12. Student conduct. To prepare and adopt procedures, rules and regulations to 
ensure the smooth operation of student conduct standards; 
13. Geographical basis. To develop and adopt an admissions policy to ensure that 
students from throughout the region have an equal opportunity to attend the school; 
14. 
Benchmar!<.s and assessments. 
To establish benchmarks and methods of 
assessing progress in the levels of academic achievement in mathematics and science for 
students who participate in school programs and to establish benchmarks and methods of 
assessing progress in the professional development of teachers who participate in school 
programs; and 
. 
15. Report. To report biennially to the Governor and the joint standing committee of 
the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters on the general status of the 
school. 
§8486. Programs and operations 
The programs and operations of the school include: 
1. School year. Operating on a calendar year that meets or exceeds the minimum 
number of statewide student instructional days; and 
2. School admission. Admittarice of students based on academic, emotional and 
socia] abilities indicating a high probability of success in a strong academic environment. 
. The first 30% of the available openings in the school must be filled by students from 
families with net family income that is less than 20% below the region average. The next 
. 30% of the available openings in the school must be filled by students from families with 
net family income that is less than 20% above the region average. Students who apply 
and are accepted by the school are allowed to attend as provided in section 5205, 
subsection 6. 
SUMMARY 
This bill establishes the Middle School of Science and Mathematics as a public 
chal1ered school located on the Blue Hill peninsula to provide students with a challenging 
educational experience with an emphasis on math and science.