An Act To Update the Laws Concerning the Maine School of Science and Mathematics
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1564
Sponsors: SUTHERLAND, JACKSON, BUTTERFIELD, CAIN, DUCHESNE, MARTIN, ROTUNDO, DAMON, GOODALL, SHERMAN
Amends: 20-A MRSA §8202, 20-A MRSA §8204, 20-A MRSA §8205, 20-A MRSA §8206

Legislative Document 
No. 1564 
H.P.1101 
House of Representatives, December 21, 2009 
An Act To Update the Laws Concerning the Maine School of 
Science and Mathematics 
Submitted by the Depmiment of Education pursuant to Joint Rule 204. 
Received by the Clerk of the House on December 17,2009. RefelTed to the Committee on 
Education and Cultural Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to 
J oint Rule 401. 
Presented by Representative SUTHERLAND of Chapman. 
Cosponsored by Senator JACKSON of Aroostook and 
1Y)j;~ 1/1. 7l!t2C;:f~{ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: BUTTERFIELD of Bangor, CAIN of Orono, DUCHESNE of Hudson, 
MARTIN of Eagle Lake, ROTUNDO of Lewiston, Senators: DAMON of Hancock, 
GOODALL of Sagadahoc, SHERMAN of Aroostook. 
PrimcJ l'll I"ccydcd paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 20-A MRS A §8202, sub-§2, <;jB, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 368, Pt. LL, 
§2, is amended to read: 
B. 
Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, effective July I, 1996, the 
student or the student's parent or guardian shall pay to the school the cost of room and 
board for the school year. In the case of financial need, the State shall pay to the 
school the difference between the cost of room and board and the student's or the 
student's family's ability to pay that cost. The board of trustees shall adopt rules 
governing the determination of financial need and the cost and schedule of payment 
of room and board under this paragraph. The determination of financial need must be 
I I 
based on a nationally recognized public or private school financial needs assessment 
system. A student may use scholarship funds in place of payment for all or part of 
the cost of room and board and any other fees or expenses incurred as a result of that 
student's enrollment at the schor 1." 
Sec. 2. 20-A MRS A §8202, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 706, Pt. A, §4, is 
amended to read: 
3. 
Out-of-state tuition. 
Students fi'om other states and countries and students 
pU'rsuing a postgraduate high school year of education may attend the school on a space-
available basis by paying the cost of tuition, fees and room and board as established by 
the board of trustees. 
Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §8202, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 665, Pt. FF, §2, is 
amended to read: 
4. Scholarship fund. The school must demonstrate its ability to raise private funds 
to support a scholarship fund. Based on this ability, the Legislature may provide General 
Fund appropriations to the scholarship fund. Funds available in the scholarship fund may 
not be used to offset, reduce or eliminate the appropriation of state funds described in 
subsection 2. The existence of the scholarship fund may not reduce or eliminate the 
State's funding obligations described in subsection 2. 
Sec. 4. 20-A MRSA §8202, sllIb-§5 is enacted to read: 
5. Educational enhancement fund. The school may raise private funds to support 
I 
an educational enhancement fund to enrich the educational experience of students 
enrolled at the school. The Legislature may provide General Fund appropriations to the 
educational enhancement fund. Funds available in the educational enhancement fund 
may not be used to offset, reduce or eliminate the appropriation of state funds described 
in subsection 2. The existence of the educational enhancement fund may not reduce or 
eliminate the State's funding obligations described in subsection 2. 
Sec. 5. 20-A MRSA §8204, sub-§l, ~C, as amended by PL 2003, c. 4, § I, is 
repealed and the following enacted in its place: 
,) 
) 
) 
(-"\ 
( 
, 
( 
(~) 
C. 
A member of the regional school unit board of the regional school unit in which 
the school is located, who must be from the community in which the school is 
located, or the member's designee; 
Sec. 6. 20-A MRSA §8204, sub-§I, €j[F, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 706, Pt. A, 
§4, is amended to read: 
F. 
Three members who are teachers, one of whom is a full-time teacher at the 
school who is a nonvoting member and is annually elected by members of the 
school's faculty and 2 of whom are teachers in the State representing different 
geographic regions of the State, appointed by the Governor. Both full-time and part-
time teachers at the school may vote in the election of a faculty member to serve on 
the board of trustees, and the election must be by secret ballot; 
Sec. 7. 20-A MRS A §8204, sub-§l, '1l1, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 706, Pt. A, §4, 
is amended to read: 
1. 
One student member who is a nonvoting member and has been elected as the 
presiding officer of the student body; and 
Sec. 8. 20-A MRSA §8204, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 706, Pt. A, §4, is 
amended to read: 
4. Quorum. A quorum for the transaction of business is constituted by the members 
ffi attendance of 1/3 of all voting members and all official actions of the board of trustees 
require a majority vote of those members present and voting. 
Sec. 9. 20-A MRSA §8204, sub-§7 is enacted to read: 
7. Conflict of interest. A board of trustees member shall attempt to avoid conflicts 
of interest by disclosure or by abstention. 
Sec. 10. 20-A MRSA §8205, slllb-§7, as amended by PL 1997, c. 772, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
7. Property management. To lease and 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. Any lease or lease-purchase agreement 
must have a term not to exceed 10 years and must be subject to annual appropriation of 
funds. The community of Limestone Eastern Aroostook Regional School Unit retains 
ownership of the Limestone Elementary School and the Limestone Junior Senior High 
School and shares those facilities with the school; 
Sec. 11. 20-A MRSA §8206, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 706, Pt. A, §4, is 
amended to read: 
3. 
School admission. 
Admittance of high school juniors and seniors; early 
admittance of students whose abilities or special circumstances are so eJweptional as to 
'vVarrant early entry; and consideration by the board of trustees for admittance of 
sonhomore students after the iunior and senior 'lear OFOllrams are fullv imnlemented 
students based on the enrollment criteria established by the board of trustees as provided 
in section 8205, subsection 11. Students who apply and are accepted by the school are 
allowed to attend as provided in section 5205, subsection 6; 
Sec. 12. 20-A MRSA §8206, SUlIb-§5, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 706, Pt. A, §4, is 
amended to read: 
5. Telecommunications. Integration of the University of Maine System interactive 
television system Utilization of distance learning technologies to allow transmission of 
certain specialty courses conducted at the school for the benefit of high-achieving 
students attending school units throughout the State. 
SUMMARY 
II 
This bill updates the laws concerning the Maine School of Science and Mathematics. 
It provides that students may use scholarship funds in place of payment for all or part of 
the cost of room and board and any other fees or expenses incurred as a result of their 
enrollment at the school. It allows postgraduate high school students to attend at full 
cost. It clarifies that private scholarship funds may not be used to offset state funds and 
creates a general purpose educational enhancement fund with the same provision. This 
bill makes necessary changes to reflect the newly created regional school unit. 
It 
provides that one of the 3 teacher members of the board of trustees is a full-time teacher 
and clarifies that both full-time and part-time faculty members may participate in the 
election of a faculty representative to the board of trustees. It also provides that the 
student member of the board of trustees is a nonvoting member. It strengthens the 
quorum requirement from members in attendance to 1/3 of all voting members. Finally, 
it removes references to high school sophomores, juniors and seniors in the laws 
governing admission to the school and provides that admittance of high school students 
must be based on criteria established by the board of trustees. 
'I 
) 
)