An Act Regarding School Consolidation
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0174
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: BRYANT, MARTIN, JACKSON, SCHNEIDER, CROCKETT, DAVIS, JOHNSON, SUTHERLAND
Amends: 20-A MRSA §1461

FIRST P~GULAR SESSION=2009 
Legislative Document 
No. 174 
S.P. 
January 21, 2009 
An Act Regarding School Consolidation 
(EMERGENCY) 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Senator BRYANT of Oxford. 
Cosponsored by Representative MARTIN of Eagle Lake and 
9tj)(J~ 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senators: JACKSON of Aroostook, SCHNEIDER of Penobscot, Representatives: CROCKETT 
of Bethel, DAVIS of Sangerville, JOHNSON of Greenville, SUTHERLAND of Chapman. 
Printed on recycled pilper 
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, school administrative units are in the process of forming regional school 
units; and 
Whereas, each proposed regional school unit must serve the minimum number of 
students designated in Maine law; and 
Whereas, students residing in the unorganized territories must be counted for fair 
implementation of the regionalization law; 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. 20-A MRSA §1461, sub-§3, ~, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 240, Pt. 
XXXX, § 13, is amended to read: 
B. In order for the plan to be approved by the commissioner, the governing bodies of 
school administrative units shall work within the following parameters. 
(1) The proposed regional school unit must serve not fewer than 2,500 students, 
except where circumstances relating to the following factors justity an exception: 
(a) Geography, including physical proximity and the size of the current 
school administrative unit; 
(b) Demographics, including student enrollment trends and the composition 
and nature of communities in the regional school unit; 
(c) Economics, including existing collaborations to be preserved or enhanced 
and opportunities to deliver commodities and services to be maximized; 
(d) Transportation; 
(e) Population density; or 
(f) Other unique circumstances including the need to preserve existing or 
developing relationships, meet the needs of students, maximize educational 
opportunities for students and ensure equitable access to rigorous programs 
for all students. 
When circumstances justity an exception to the size requirement of 2,500 
students, the unit must serve as close to 2,500 students as possible and in no case, 
except for coastal islands and schools operated by tribal school committees, may 
it serve fewer than 1,200 students. 
For purposes of this paragraph, the school administrative units proposing to form a 
regional school unit may include in the student count for the proposed unit a number 
) 
) 
) 
n, 
\ 
, 
) 
~,' 
equal to the number of students residing in the unorganized territories who attended a 
school in one of the school administrative units during the year that the plan is 
submitted for approval or during the school year prior to submission. 
(2) The plan must provide comprehensive programming for all students from 
kindergarten to grade 12 and must include at least one publicly suppo11ed 
secondary school. 
(3) The plan must be consistent with the policies set forth in section 1451. 
(4) The plan may not displace teachers or students or close any schools existing 
and operating during the school year immediately preceding reorganization, 
except as perm itted under section 1512. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
This bill allows school administrative units to count students who reside in the 
unorganized territories and attend schools within those school administrative units when 
submitting a plan for a regional school unit.