An Act To Allow the Town of Wells and the Town of Ogunquit To Amend the Terms of Their Cost-sharing Agreement for Their Community School District and To Provide Each Town the Ability To Withdraw from the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1747
Committee Amendment CA_A_S422 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 670, L.D. 1747, Bill, "An Act To 
Allow the Town of Wells and the Town of Ogunquit To Amend the Terms of Their Cost-
sharing Agreement for Their Community School District and To Provide Each Town the' 
Ability To Withdraw from the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Allow the Town of Wells or the Town of Ogunquit To Withdraw from 
the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: . 
'Sec. 1. Withdrawal from Wells-Ogunquit Community School District. 
The residents of either the Town of Wells or the Town of Ogunquit may withdraw their 
town from the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District, referred to in this section as 
"the school district," in accordance with this section. 
1. Petition required. A petition for a town to withdraw from the school district 
must be signed by 10% of those voting in the town at the last gubermitorial election and 
the petition must be submitted to the officers of that town. 
2. Public hearing priOl' to vote. At least 10 days before a special election to vote 
on a petition to withdraw, the municipal officers of the. town receiving the petition 
pursuant to subsection I shall hold a posted or otherwise advertised public hearing on the 
petition. 
3. Special election. The municipal officers of the town receiving the petition 
pursuant to subsection I shall call and hold a special election to vote on the withdrawal 
from the school district in the manner provided for the calling and holding of town 
meetings and elections. 
The petition to withdraw from the school district must be 
approved by secret ballot by a majority vote of the voters present and voting before it 
may be presented to the Comm issioner of Education. Voting in the town must be 
conducted in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, sections 2528 and 
2529, even if the town has not accepted the provisions of Title 30-A, section 2528. 
Page I - 124LR2323(02)-1 . 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "f(" to S.P. 670, L.D. 1747 
4. Form for article. The article to be voted at the special election called pursuant to 
subsection 3 must be in substantially the following fonn: 
"Article: Do you favor filing a petition for withdrawal from the Wells-Ogunquit 
Community School District with the Commissioner of Education authorizing. the 
withdrawal committee to expend $ (inselt amount) and authorizing the (municipal 
officers) to issue notes in the name of the (name of the town) or otherwise pledge the 
credit of the (name of the town) in an amount not to exceed $ (insert amount) for this 
purpose? 
Yes No" 
S. 
Notice of vote. . If residents of the town vote favorably on a petition for 
withdrawal fi'om the school district, the town clerk shall immediately give written notice, 
by registered mail, to the secretary of the school district and the Commissioner of 
Education that includes: 
A. 
The petition adopted by the voters, including the number of affirmative and 
nygative votes cast; and 
. 
B. An explanation by the municipal officers, stating to the best of their knowledge 
the reason or reasons why the town seeks to withdraw from the school district. 
6. Agreement for withdrawal. Upon receipt of notice that either the Town of Wells 
or the Town of Ogunquit has voted affirmatively to withdraw from the school district, the 
Commissioner of Education shall direct the municipal officers of each town to form a 
withdrawal committee and develop an agreement between the 2 towns for the dissolution 
of the school district. The commissioner's directive must establish a withdrawal process 
similar to the process for withdrawal of a single town from a regional school unit. The 
commissioner shall consider the structure of municipal government in each town, the 
representation of each town on the school committee and circumstances unique to the 
establishment and history of the school district when authorizing negotiations and 
establishing deadlines for a withdrawal agreement. 
7. Reorganization; penalties. Upon dissolution of the school district, neither the 
Town of Wells nor the Town of Ogunquit is subject to penalties for nonconforming 
school units under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 15696 for a period of 
. 2 years from the date of the dissolution.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the minority report of the Joint Standing.Committee on.Education 
and Cultural Affairs. It replaces the bill. It allows either Wells or Ogunquit to withdraw 
from the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District using a process similar to the 
process established in statute for a municipality to withdraw from a regional school unit. 
. It directs the Commissioner of Education to adapt that process to the uniqll.e 
Circumstances of these 2 towns. 
FISCAL ;\OT£ l<U,JL IH.ED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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Approved: 03/14/10 frac 
LD 1747 
LR 2323(02) 
An Act To Allow the Town of Wells and the Town of Ogunquit To Amend the Terms of Their Cost-
sharing Agreement for Their Community School District and To Provide Each Town the Ability To 
Withdraw from the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
No state fiscal impact 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
This bill will not affect the total cost ofK-12 public education or the State's share of that cost. This bill may affect the 
amount of state subsidy received by the Town of Wells and the Town of Ogunquit for K-12 education. The impact to 
each individual town can not be determined at this time and will depend on how each separate unit is structured. 
LR2323(02) - Fiscal Note - Page I of I