An Act To Allow a Referendum Regarding School Choice within Regional School Unit No. 12
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 1214
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: MacDONALD

Legislative Document 
No. 1214 
H.P. 905 
House of Representatives, March 22, 2011 
An Act To Allow a Referendum Regarding School Choice within 
Regional School Unit No. 12 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative MacDONALD of Boothbay.  (BY REQUEST) 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  Regional School Unit No. 12 school choice.  On the effective date of 
this section, any provision of a contract or other agreement that allows students in 
kindergarten to grade 8 residing in the Town of Alna or the Town of Westport Island to 
elect to enroll in schools other than the Town of Wiscasset schools is void, except that the 
following persons may enroll or remain enrolled in a school other than a Town of 
Wiscassett school under the same terms and conditions as that contract or other 
agreement: 
1.  A student who, on the effective date of this section, has elected to enroll in a 
school other than a Town of Wiscassett school pursuant to the contract or agreement; and 
2.  A person who is alive on the effective date of this section who is a sibling of a 
student enrolled in a school other than a Town of Wiscassett school pursuant to the 
contract or agreement under the same terms or conditions. 
Sec. 2.  Referendum; effective date.  Section 1 of this Act takes effect upon 
acceptance by a majority of the legal voters voting at the election provided for under this 
section.  Section 1 of this Act may be submitted to the legal voters within Regional 
School Unit No. 12 at an election held prior to June 30, 2012.  The election must be 
called, advertised and conducted according to the law relating to municipal elections, 
except that the registrars of voters are not required to prepare or the town clerks to post 
new lists of voters.  The registrars of voters must be in session on the secular day next 
preceding the election.  The town clerks shall prepare the required ballots, on which the 
town clerks shall reduce the subject matter of section 1 to the following question: 
"Do you favor ending the choice for students in kindergarten to grade 8 
residing in the Town of Alna or the Town of Westport Island to attend 
school in a town other than Wiscasset unless they currently do so?" 
The voters shall indicate by a cross or check mark placed against the words "yes" or 
"no" their opinion on the question. 
The results must be declared by the municipal officers of the Town of Alna, Town of 
Wiscasset, Town of Westport Island, Town of Palermo, Town of Somerville, Town of 
Whitefield, Town of Windsor and Town of Chelsea and due certificate of the results filed 
by the town clerks with the Secretary of State. 
Section 1 of this Act takes effect immediately upon its acceptance by a majority of 
the legal voters voting at the election. 
SUMMARY 
This bill permits the voters in Regional School Unit No. 12 to vote at referendum on 
whether to end the choice for students in kindergarten to grade 8 residing in the Town of 
Alna or the Town of Westport Island to attend school in a town other than the Town of 
Wiscasset.