An Act To Support the Center of Excellence for At-risk Students
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1443
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: MARRACHE, PINGREE, MILLS, BECK, RANKIN, SUTHERLAND

Legislative Document 
No. 1443 
S.P.528 
In Senate, April 7, 2009 
An Act To Support the Center of Excellence for At-risk Students 
(EMERGENCy) 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
. printed. 
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Presented by Senator MARRACHE of Kennebec. 
Cosponsored by Speaker PINGREE of North Haven and 
9tf)(J~ 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senator: MILLS of Somerset, Representatives: BECK of Waterville, FITTS ofPirtsfield, 
RANKIN of Hiram, SUTHERLAND of Chapman. 
Printed on recycled pilper 
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Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, the rising dropout rate in the State deprives an increasing number of youth 
of education essential to their future success, while creating the potential for greater costs 
on the State's social welfare system; and 
Whereas, many school administrative units have limited resources available to tailor 
programs to address the needs of youth at risk of failing or dropping out of school; and 
Whereas, a private, nonprofit charitable organization with a long history of 
education and caring for children at risk is currently working with a major Maine 
charitable foundation to create a statewide center of excellence to serve students at risk of 
failure; and 
Whereas, immediate support for that effort is essential to ensure that the 
organization can begin serving students in the 2009-2010 school year; 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 c. 227 is enacted to read: 
CIIAPTER 227 
CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR AT-RISK STUDENTS 
§6951. Center establishment 
1. Center established. The Center of Excellence for At-risk Students is established. 
2. Definitions. As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings. 
A. "At-risk student" means an elementary student or secondary student who is at risk 
of failing or dropping out of a regular public school program. 
B. 
"Center" means the Center of Excellence for At-risk Students established in 
subsection 1. 
3. Center requirements. The center shall provide a comprehensive residential and 
nonresidential program for educating at-risk students. The center shall also provide 
information and resources for other schools serving at-risk students. The center may be 
administered by a private, nonprofit charitable corporation with a public purpose that 
meets the requirements of section 2951. The commissioner may grant a waiver from any 
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requirements of sections 2901, 2902 and 2951 that the comrrnSSlOner determines 
appropriate in consideration of the special characteristics of the center. 
§6952. Center criteria 
To qualify for support, approval and funding under this chapter, the center must 
provide services to at-risk students who are or have been enrolled in one or more of 
grades 7 to 12. The admission of an at-risk student to the center is subject to approval by 
the center based upon criteria of the center approved by the commissioner. The center 
shall provide residential and nonresidential instruction that is approved pursuant to 
section 6951 and designed to effect positive, sustainable change in the lives of at-risk 
students through comprehensive on-site education services in 4 major areas, including 
high-quality scholastic, vocational a.l1d behavioral health education; training and support 
for families of students; training and support for public school teachers in dealing with 
students who are at risk of failing or dropping out of school; and providing an 
environment conducive to research aiding the improvement of education for at-risk 
students. 
The center shall collaborate with the department, public school administrators and 
other public and private organizations with an interest in the support and education of at-
risk students. 
§6953. State financial and operational support 
The commissioner shall approve funding for the center from the total allocation for 
kindergarten to grade 12 education from General Fund revenue sources i:eceived by the 
department under section 15752. The commissioner shall calculate the funding based 
upon the unique needs of at-risk students and in consideration of the availability, 
restrictions and limitations of private and other sources of funding. 
The funding 
approved for the center under this section must equal or exceed the tuition rate that would 
be computed for a private school under section 5806, subsection 1 and may exceed the 
maximum allowable tuition by a private school that would be determined under section 
5806, subsection 2. 
§6954. Transfers 
Students in school administrative units may be transferred to and become students of 
the center by agreement between the school administrative unit responsible for the 
student and the chief executive officer ofthe corporation administering the center. 
§6955. Rules 
The department may adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this chapter. Rules 
adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 
375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 2. Nonprofit corporation; timeline. The Department of Education shall 
arrange with the Good Will-Hinckley school to serve as the nonprofit charitable 
corporation with a public purpose to implement the Center of Excellence for At-risk 
Students, established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 6951, referred to 
in this section as "the center." The center must be developed and funded to provide 
education approved by the Commissioner of Education for up to 80 students for the year 
beginning September 1, 2009 and fully implemented for 80 to 150 students by September 
1, 2010. The Department of Education may modify the provisions of implementing the 
center in this section upon consultation with the Good Will-Hinckley school. 
Sec. 3. 
Allocation. 
Beginning September 1, 2009, for the first 2 years of 
operation, the Commissioner of Education shall make an allocation for funding the 
Center of Excellence for At-risk Students established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 
20-A, section 6951 to provide for 80 students in the center's fIrst year of operation and 
students in the 2nd year of operation, with one student from each school 
administrative unit allowed to attend the center each year. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
This bill establishes the Center of Excellence for At-risk Students to provide a 
comprehensive, on-site course of instruction for youth at risk of failing or dropping out of 
school. The center must include a high-quality education, training for parents and public 
school teachers and research involving education for at-risk youth. The center may be 
administered by a private, nonprofIt charitable corporation organized for educational 
purposes with oversight by the Commissioner of Education and will accept transfers of 
at-risk public school students. 
The center will be funded from the Department of 
Education's allocation for kindergarten to grade 12 education from General Fund revenue 
sources. The bill directs the Department of Education to arrange with the Good Will-
Hinckley school to educate up to 80 students in the 2009-2010 school year and up to 150 
students in the 2010-2011 school year. 
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