An Act To Establish Multidistrict Online Classes in Maine
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 0675
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: ALFOND, RICHARDSON, LANGLEY, NELSON, RANKIN, WAGNER
Amends: 20-A MRSA §19154

Legislative Document 
No. 675 
S.P. 206 
In Senate, February 17, 2011 
An Act To Establish Multidistrict Online Classes in Maine 
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on February 17, 2011.  Referred to the Committee 
on Education and Cultural Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed. 
JOSEPH G. CARLETON, JR. 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator ALFOND of Cumberland. 
Cosponsored by Representative RICHARDSON of Carmel and 
Senator: LANGLEY of Hancock, Representatives: NELSON of Falmouth, RANKIN of Hiram, 
WAGNER of Lewiston. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §19154, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 330, §4, is 
amended to read: 
2.  Eligibility.  A kindergarten to grade 12 student enrolled in a public school 
residing in the State who is 20 years of age or younger is eligible to enroll in the an online 
learning program offered by any school administrative unit. A school administrative unit 
offering an online learning program must give preference to a student who is a resident of 
the school administrative unit and use a random lottery to select among students who are 
not residents of the school administrative unit if the program is oversubscribed, giving 
preference to the sibling of a student who is already enrolled in the program.  When a 
student who is not a resident of a school administrative unit that is offering an online 
learning program enrolls in that program, the school board of the school administrative 
unit of residence for that student must pay tuition, as established in chapter 219, to the 
school administrative unit that has enrolled the student in the online learning program. 
Sec. 2.  Stakeholder group to be established.  The Department of Education 
shall create a group of stakeholders to study the opportunities in and challenges of 
creating one online school for the State for students in kindergarten to grade 12.  For 
purposes of this section, "stakeholders" includes teachers, administrators, parents, 
information technology specialists and any other person, group or entity that has an 
interest in online learning.  No later than January 4, 2012, the Department of Education 
shall report the findings of its study along with any suggested legislation to the Joint 
Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs.  The Joint Standing Committee 
on Education and Cultural Affairs may submit a bill regarding the study required under 
this section to the Second Regular Session of the 125th Legislature. 
SUMMARY 
This bill allows nonresident students to enroll in a school administrative unit's online 
learning program, with the school administrative unit of residence for that student to pay 
the enrolling school administrative unit the student's tuition for the program.  The bill also 
directs the Department of Education to create a stakeholder group to study the 
opportunities in and challenges of creating one online learning program for the State and 
to report to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs by January 
4, 2012.