An Act To Provide Additional Time to Certain School Administrative Units To Comply with School Administrative Unit Reorganization Laws
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0635
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: FITTS, MARRACHE, AUSTIN, BEAULIEU, BECK, BICKFORD, BROWNE, CROCKETT, CURTIS, DAVIS, EATON, EDGECOMB, FLETCHER, FOSSEL, KRUGER, LEGG, MILLER, NELSON, PIEH, PINGREE, PIOTTI, ROBINSON, SAVIELLO, SCHATZ, THERIAULT, WAGNER, WEAVER, WEBSTER, BOWMAN, COURTNEY, GOOLEY, JACKSON, MITCHELL, SHERMAN, SULLIVAN, WESTON

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE 
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. 124th MAINE LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 635 
H.P.449 
House of Representatives, February 19, 2009 
An Act To Provide Additional Time to Certain School 
Administrative Units To Comply with School Administrative Unit 
Reorganization Laws 
(EMERGENCY) 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
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111, lJliLC~{ 
Presented by Representative FITTS of Pittsfield. 
Cosponsored by Senator MARRACHE of Kennebec and 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: AUSTIN of Gray, BEAULIEU of Auburn, BECK of Waterville, BICKFORD 
of Auburn, BROWNE of Vassalboro, CRA YofPalmyra, CROCKETT of Bethel, CURTIS of 
Madison, DAVIS of Sangerville, EATON of Sullivan, EDGECOMB of Caribou, FLETCHER 
of Winslow, FOSSEL of Alna, GiLBERT of Jay, KRUGER of Thomaston, LANGLEYof 
Ellsworth, LEGG of Kennebunk,L.e:WIN of Eliot, McFADDEN of Dennysville, McKANE of 
Newcastle, MILLER of Somerville, NELSON of Falmouth, PIEH of Bremen, Speaker 
PINGREE of North Haven, PIOTTI of Unity, RICHARDSON ofCarrnel, ROBINSON of 
Raymond,SAVIELLO of Wilton, SCHATZ of Blue Hill; TARDY of Newport, THERIAULT 
of Madawaska, WAGNER of Lewiston, WEAVER of York, WEBSTER of Freeport, Senators: 
BOWMAN of York; BRYANT of Oxford, COURTNEY of York, DAVIS of Cumberland, 
GOOLEY of Franklin, JACKSON of Aroostook, President MITCHELL of Kennebec, 
SHERMAN of Aroostook, SULLIVAN of York, WESTON of Waldo. 
Prinll:u un recycled pi.lpcr 
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Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do npt 
become effective until 90 days after adjourhment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, the deadline for reorganization is approaching; and 
Whereas, if a school administrative unit does not reorganize, penalties will be 
imposed against the school administrative unit; and 
Whereas, this legislation will give school administrative units additional time to 
reorganize; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature" these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore, 
, Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. PL 2007, c. 2410, Pt. XXXX, §36, sub-§l1, as amended by PL 2007, 
c. 668, §417, is further amended to read: 
11. 
Result of disapproval at January 2008 referendum or subsequent 
referendum on or before January 30,2009. A school administrative unit that rejects a 
proposed reorganization plan at the January 15, 2008 referendum or at a subsequent 
referendum on or before January 30, 2009 may restart the process to form a regional 
school unit with the same or other school administrative units and may seek assistance 
from the, Department of Education to prepare another reorganization plan. , 
A. 
Subsequent' reorganization plans must meet the same requirements as for 
reorganization plans filed prior to the January 2008 referendum, except that the 
timelines are adjusted to reflect a July 1, 2009 reorganization date. 
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B. 
The penalties set forth in Title 20-A, section 15696 apply to any school 
administrative unit that fails to ajJprove a reorganization plan on or before January 
30, 2009 and to implement that plan by July 1, 2009, including those school 
administrative districts that are reformulated under subsection 12. These penalties do 
not apply to any school administrative unit that implements a reorganization plan by 
July 1, 2010 in accordance with subsection II-A. 
Sec. 2.PL 2007, c. 2410, Pi. XXXX, §36, sub-§l1-A is enacted to read: 
ll-A.' Result for school administrative unit that approves plan at referendum on 
or before January 30, 2009 but is unable to implement plan. A school administrative 
unit that approves a'proposed reorganization plan at the January 15,2008 referendum or 
at a subsequent referen~um on or before January 30, 2009 but is unable to implement the 
plan because the plan was rejected at referendum by one or more of its proposed partner 
school administrative units under the plan may restart the process to form a regional 
school unit with the same or other school administrative units and may seek assistance 
from the Department of Education to prepare another reorganization plan. 
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A. 
Subsequent reorganization plans must meet the same requirements as for 
reorganization plans filed prior to the January 2008 referendum, except that the 
tiinelines are adjusted to reflect a July 1, 2010 reorganization date. 
B. The penalties set forth in Title 20-A, section 15696 apply, as of July 1, 2010, to 
any school administrative unit that fails to approve a reorganization plan on or before 
January 30,2010 and to implement that plan by July 1, 2010. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
This bill provides additional time for a school administrative unit to comply with the 
reorganization law if it approved a reorganization plan aLa referendum prior to January 
30, 2009 but is unable to implement the plan because the plan was rejected by one or 
more of its proposed partners. The school administrative unit would be allowed to restart 
. the process to form a regional school unit with the same or other school administrative 
units.