An Act To Create Innovative Public School Zones and Innovative Public School Districts
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 1488
Committee Amendment CA_A_S277 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 466, L.D. 1488, Bill, "An Act To 
Create Innovative Public School Zones and Innovative Public School Districts" 
Amend the bill by inserting after the enacting clause and before section I the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA c. 114-A is enacted to read: 
CHAPTER 114-A 
FUND FOR THE EFFICIENT DELIVERY OF EDUCATIONAL SERVICES 
§2651. Fund for the Efficient Delivery of Educational Services 
1. Fund created. The Fund for the Efficient Delivery of Educational Services, 
referred to in this chapter as "the fund" is created to assist in financing the cost of local 
and regional initiatives to improve educational opportunity and student achievement 
through more efficient delivery of educational services. 
The fund is a dedicated, 
nonlapsing account within the department. 
2. 
Use of fund. 
The department shall award grants from the fund to school 
administrative units, municipalities, counties and groups of 2 or more such entities to 
fund the costs of implementing changes in governance, administrative structures or 
policies that result in the creation of consolidated school administrative units; purchasing 
alliances; innovative, autonomous public schools, innovative public school districts or 
innovative public school zones; regional delivery of educational services; or 
collaborations of municipal-school service delivery or support systems, with the purpose 
of improving educational opportunity and student achievement. Grants must be used to 
implement changes that will be sustained by the school administrative unit, municipality 
or county without the need for additional grants from the fund or other sources. 
3. Grant criteria. Grants must be awarded on a competitive basis, in accordance 
with procedures and criteria set forth in rules adopted by the department. The rules must 
give priority to projects that: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~. .,. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 466, L.D. 1488 
A. 
Involve 2 or more school administrative units, municipalities, counties or a 
combination of these entities; 
B. Are sufficiently developed to be implemented in a short period of time after the 
award of the grant; 
C. Expand access to professional development, training and support for teachers and 
school administrators; more fully integrate educational technology and expand access 
to online and digital learning opportunities; improve management and use of data to 
enhance instruction and increase student achievement; broaden access to 
opportunities for career and technical education; expand access to early college 
opportunities for high school students; or increase student choice; or 
D. Implement projects that have demonstrated significant and sustainable savings in 
the cost of delivering educational services and improving student achievement. 
4. Sources of money. The fund consists of amounts appropriated or allocated by the 
State and any gifts or grants made to the department for the purpose of deposit in the 
fund. 
5. Rules. Rules adopted by the department to implement this section are major 
substantive rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §6213 in subsection 3 in the last 2 lines (page 2, lines 4 
and 5 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "in the creation" and inserting the following: 
'collaboratively in the creation and implementation' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §6213 in subsection 4 by striking out all of paragraphs 
J and K (page 3, lines 1 to 8 in L.D.) and inserting the following: 
'J. 
A provision for the continuation and assignment of collective bargaining 
agreements as they apply to the school, zone or district for the duration of those 
agreements and the continuation of representational rights; 
K. 
A provision for. the continuation of continuing contract rights under section 
13201; and' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §6213 in subsection 6 by inserting after the first 
paragraph a new blocked paragraph to read: 
'A person may not directly or indirectly interfere with, intimidate, restrain, coerce or 
discriminate against a public employee or a group of public employees in the free 
exercise of their rights pursuant to Title 26, chapter 9-A to voluntarily join, form and 
participate in the activities of organizations of their own choosing for the purposes of 
representation and collective bargaining or in the free exercise of any other right under 
Title 26.' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §6213 in subsection 8 by inserting after the first 
sentence a new sentence to read: 'Any gift, grant or donation received pursuant to this 
subsection must be approved by the school board prior to the receipt of the gift, grant or 
donation.' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §6213 in subsection 10 in paragraph C in the last line 
(page 5, line 10 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "and" 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
f-.. .,. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" Pc to S.P. 466, L.D. 1488 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §6213 in subsection 10 in paragraph D in the last line 
(page 5, line 13 in L.D.) by striking out the following: 
"~" and inserting the following: '.;. 
and' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §6213 in subsection 10 by inserting after paragraph D 
the following: 
'E. The legal obligations and duties that a school administrative unit implementing an 
innovation plan owes to its employees prior to the formation of a district or zone, 
including but not limited to those obligations and duties arising under federal or state 
law, collective bargaining agreements and individual employment contracts, 
including but not limited to: 
(1) Continued recognition of all bargaining agents that represent any bargaining 
units of employees who are employed by a school administrative unit 
implementing an innovation plan; and 
(2) 
Assumption and continued observance of all collective bargaining 
agreements between such bargaining agents and a school administrative unit 
implementing an innovation plan.' 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 1 the following: 
'Sec. 2. 26 MRS A §962, sub-§7, ~A, as amended by PL 2005, c. 662, Pt. A, §43 
and PL 2007, c. 58, §3, is further amended to read: 
A. Any officer, board, commission, council, committee or other persons or body 
acting on behalf of: 
(1) Any municipality or any subdivision of a municipality; 
(2) Any school, water, sewer, fire or other district; 
(3) The Maine Turnpike Authority; 
(5) Any county or subdivision of a county; 
(6) The Maine Public Employees Retirement System; ef 
(7) The Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the 
Governor Baxter School for the Deaf; or 
(8) Any innovative, autonomous public school, innovative public school district 
or innovative public school zone created and operated under Title 20-A, section 
6212 or 6213; 
Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
Fund for the Efficient Delivery of Educational Services ZOOS 
Initiative: Provides a base allocation for grants to improve educational opportunities and 
student achievement through more efficient delivery of educational services. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 466, L.D. 1488 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
2011-12 
$500 
$500 
2012-13 
$500 
$500 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment removes the provisions in the bill that propose to require the consent 
of a majority of administrators, teachers and school staff and students, their parents and 
the community prior to the designation of a public school as an innovative school, zone or 
district under an innovation plan. 
It provides that a school board must approve the acceptance of private gifts, grants 
and donations received to offset the costs of developing and implementing an innovation 
plan. 
It adds provisions to the bill pertaining to the collective bargaining rights of public 
school employees when an innovative school, zone or district is established under an 
innovation plan. 
The amendment provides for the continuation and assignment of 
collective bargaining agreements, the continuation of continuing contract rights for 
teachers and the continued recognition of bargaining agents that represent a collective 
bargaining unit of public employees employed by a public school that establishes an 
innovative school, zone or district. 
It provides for the establishment of the Fund for the Efficient Delivery of Educational 
Services within the Department of Education. 
The fund permits the department to 
provide grants to school administrative units, municipalities and counties or a 
combination of 2 or more of these entities to implement plans for local and regional 
initiatives such as innovative public schools, zones or districts in order to improve 
educational opportunity and student achievement through the efficient delivery of 
educational services. 
It also adds an appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/02/11 frac 
LD 1488 
LR 1870(02) 
An Act To Create Innovative Public School Zones and Innovative Public School Districts 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" CS - 2.COJ'1 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Potential current biennium cost increase - General Fund 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
FY 2011-12 
$500 
FY 2012-13 
$500 
Projections 
FY 2013-14 
$500 
Projections 
FY 2014-15 
$500 
This bill includes Other Special Revenue Funds base allocations of $500 per year beginning in fiscal year 2011-12 for 
the Fund for the Efficient Delivery of Educational Services within the Department of Education in the event that funds 
are received for grants to support local initiatives to improve educational opportunities and student achievement 
through more efficient delivery of educational services. 
This legislation may increase costs to the Maine Labor Relations Board for potential increased involvement in 
collective bargaining issues. The additional cost and the ability of the board to absorb these costs within existing 
resources can not be determined at this time and will depend on actual experience. 
Additional costs to the Department of Education associated with approving innovation plans, issuing waivers and 
submitting the required report can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LRI870(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1