Resolve, To Establish the Commission To Strengthen the Adequacy and Equity of Certain Cost Components of the School Funding Fonnula
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1850
Senate Amendment SA_A_S487 (Senate)
Amends: Title 20-A, Section 15689

SENATE AMENDMENT" A "to H.P. 1335, L.D. 1850, "Resolve, To Establish the 
Commission To Strengthen the Adequacy and Equity of Certain Cost Components of the 
School Funding Fonnula" 
Amend the resolve by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'Resolve, To Require the Department of Education and the Education Research 
Institute To Study Certain Cost Components of the School Funding Formula' 
Amend the resolve in the emergency preamble by striking out all of the 2nd Whereas 
paragraph (page 1, lines 3 to 5 in L.D.) and inserting the following: 
'Whereas, this legislation needs to take effect before the expiration of the 90-day 
period in order to provide sufficient time for the study established in this resolve to be 
completed; and' 
Amend the resolve by striking out everything after the emergency preamble and 
before the emergency clause and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. Study of school funding formula. Resolved: That the Department of 
Education, referred to in this resolve as "the department," and the Education Research 
Institute, established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 10 and referred to 
in this resolve as "the institute," jointly shall examine the reports and related work 
products presented to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs 
during the 126th Legislature as part of the independent review of the Essential Pro grams 
and Services Funding Act conducted pursuant to Resolve 2011, chapter 166 and shall 
develop a plan to strengthen the adequacy and equity of the following cost components 
included in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act and other related education 
statutes. 
1. Public preschool programs for children 4 years of age. As pmi of the review 
and analysis of public preschool programs for children 4 years of age, the depmiment and 
the institute shall: 
A. Review the work products and any proposed rules developed by the department's 
work group to implement quality standards of practice for Maine public preschool 
programs, including an analysis of the standards proposed to address quality and 
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SENATE AMENDMENT "A "to H.P. 1335, L.D. 1850 
consistency of public preschool programs and collaboration with other early 
childhood and preschool programs; 
B. Conduct an analysis of the targeted funds for public preschool to grade 2 students 
that are allocated specifically for preschool students and conduct an analysis of the 
projected costs for providing public preschool programs for all eligible children 4 
years of age in the State; 
C. 
Review the cun-ent method for calculating the number of public preschool 
students enrolled in a school administrative unit's public preschool program and 
conduct an analysis of the projected costs for changing the cun-ent method for 
calculating the number of public preschool students that counts each public preschool 
student as a 0.5 full-time equivalent student for the first year and a 1.0 full-time 
equivalent student beginning in the 2nd year to a new method that counts each public 
preschool student as a 1.0 full-time equivalent student for the first year and 
subsequent years; and 
D. Collect and review information on the physical space and facility capacity of 
school administrative units and project the school facility costs necessary to 
implement public preschool programs for eligible children 4 years of age in the State. 
2. Support for economically disadvantaged students; Title I funds. As part of the 
review and analysis of the cost components related to strengthening support for 
economically disadvantaged students, including the provision of funding under Title I of 
the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 20 United States Code, 
Section 6301 et seq., refen-ed to in this resolve as "Title I," and resources to provide extra 
help for struggling students, such as extended school days and summer school programs, 
the department and the institute shall: 
A. Collect school administrative unit spending data on the number of Title I teachers 
and education technicians in order to update the staffing ratios in the essential 
programs and services funding formula; 
B. Conduct an analysis of the updated data collected on student-teacher and student-
education technician staffing ratios in the essential programs and services funding 
formula in order to separate the groups of teachers into the following categories: 
classroom teachers, Title I teachers and teacher leaders or instructional coaches; 
C. Develop a plan for adjusting the costs of the essential programs and services 
funding formula to account for the separate costs of classroom teachers, Title I 
teachers, education technicians and teacher leaders or instructional coaches; 
D. Conduct research and analysis of the structures, programs, costs and achievement 
impacts of evidence-based practices in other states related to extended school day and 
summer school programs and also analyze examples of extended school day and 
summer school programs provided by school administrative units in the State; 
E. Develop 2 or more models for funding and evaluating extended school day and 
summer school programs for inclusion in the essential programs and services funding 
formula; and 
F. 
Project the financial impact of the adjustments under this subsection to the 
essential programs and services funding formula. 
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SENATE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1335, L.D. 1850 
3. 
Professional development and collaborative time needed to implement 
proficiency-based learning. As part of the research and analysis of the cost components 
related to strengthening support for professional development, collaborative time to 
implement proficiency-based learning and spending data on teacher leaders or 
instructional coaches, including the following aspects of the cost components, the 
department and the institute shall: 
A. Collect school administrative unit spending data on professional development 
programs and collaborative time for teachers, as well as the school administrative unit 
spending data on teacher leaders or instructional coaches in order to update the 
staffing ratios in the essential programs and services funding formula; 
B. Establish a dedicated funding mechanism and process, such as a supplemental 
professional development block grant program, that allows the department to provide 
funding to school administrative units that submit proposals to secure professional 
development funds; 
C. 
Create a standards-based inventory of effective professional development 
programs and strategies from which school administrative units may select programs 
and strategies in order to receive supplemental professional development block grant 
funds; and 
D. 
Develop an implementation plan for increasing the allocation of funds for 
professional development, collaborative time for teachers and teacher leaders or 
instructional coaches and include provisions in the implementation plan to monitor 
the use of these funds by school administrative units. 
4. Regional cost adjustment for teacher salaries. As part of the research and 
analysis of the cost components related to the regional cost adjustment for teacher 
salaries, the department and the institute shall: 
A. 
Collect and update school administrative unit data included in the regional 
adjustment for teacher salaries pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, 
section 15682; 
B. Recalculate the regional adjustments using the most recent teacher salary data 
available and conduct analyses using the 35 labor market areas currently included in 
the essential programs and services funding formula and using the 31 labor market 
areas developed by the Department of Labor; and 
C. Conduct research and analysis of the strategies used in other states to address 
teacher salary gaps in school districts. 
5. Debt service for locally approved school construction projects in the required 
local share of school funding. 
As part of the research and analysis of the cost 
components related to debt service for locally approved school construction projects in 
the required state and local shares of school funding under the Essential Programs and 
Services Funding Act, the depaliment and the institute shall: 
A. Review the statutory provisions under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, 
section 15672, subsection 2-A related to determination of debt service costs that are 
included and excluded from the school construction projects that are recognized in 
the required state and local shares of school funding; 
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SENATE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1335, L.D. 1850 
B. Review school administrative unit data related to energy and other costs related to 
minor capital costs, defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 15672, 
subsection 20-A; and 
C. Review the statutory provisions under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, 
section 6006-F related to the School Revolving Renovation Fund. 
6. Special education allocation for minimum subsidy receivers. The department 
and the institute shall review the statutory provisions under the Maine Revised Statutes, 
Title 20-A, section 15689, subsections 1, I-B and 11 that reduce the special education 
allocations for minimum subsidy receivers from 100% to 30% of special education costs, 
and the department and the institute shall develop one or more models to align the special 
education allocations for minimum subsidy receivers with the progress of state funding 
levels necessary to progress towards meeting the statutory obligation to fund 55% of the 
total cost of education statewide. 
7. State contributions to fund the cost of the unfunded actuarial liability for 
retired teachers. The department and the institute shall review the statutory provisions 
under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 15671, subsection 7, paragraph C 
that recognize the state contributions to fund the cost of the unfunded actuarial liability 
for retired teachers, and the department and the institute shall make recOlmnendations on 
whether the calculation of the state share percentage of the total cost of funding public 
education from kindergarten to grade 12 as required by the Essential Programs and 
Services Funding Act should continue to include the state contributions to fund the cost 
of the unfunded actuarial liability for retired teachers; and be it fuliher 
Sec. 2. Contract to review essential programs and services components. 
Resolved: That, for fiscal year 2014-15, the Commissioner of Education shall contract 
with a statewide education research institute to review the cost components of the 
Essential Programs and Services Funding Act and related education statutes pursuant to 
section 1 of this resolve. The contract must be funded with ftmding allocated for the 
purposes of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 15689-A, subsection 3. The 
commissioner may not contract with a statewide education research institute to review 
certain cost components of the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act in 
accordance with the schedule established in Title 20-A, section 15686-A; and be it further 
Sec. 3. Contract for Education Research Institute. Resolved: 
That, if 
funds are required in addition to the funds provided pursuant to section 2 of this resolve 
for the compilation and analysis of education data necessary to complete the study under 
section 1 of this resolve, notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 
15689-A, subsection 6, for fiscal year 2014-15, the Commissioner of Education and the 
Legislature may conh·act with the Education Research Institute in accordance with Title 
20-A, section 10 and use funds otherwise provided for a contract pursuant to Title 20-A, 
section 15689-A, subsection 6. The contract authorized in accordance with Title 20-A, 
section 15689-A, subsection 6 for fiscal year 2014-15 may not exceed the balance of 
funds remaining after funds are allocated for this purpose; and be it further 
Sec. 4. Report; recommendations. Resolved: That the department and the 
institute shall submit a report containing their findings and recommendations pursuant to 
section 1 of this resolve, including any necessary implementing legislation, to the joint 
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SENATE AMENDMENT" A" to H.P. 1335, L.D. 1850 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural 
affairs by December 9, 2014. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs may submit a bill related to this report to 
the First Regular Session of the 127th Legislature.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment strikes the Commission To Strengthen the Adequacy and Equity of 
Certain Cost Components of the School Funding Formula as established in the resolve. 
Instead, this amendment requires the Department of Education and the Education 
Research Institute to perfonn the research and analysis of certain cost components of the 
Essential Programs and Services Funding Act and develop a plan to strengthen the 
adequacy and equity of those cost components. The department and the institute are 
required to comply with t~ame reporting requirements as specified in the resolve. 
SPONSORED BY: 
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" 
J..,." --ty)U 
V 
COUNTY: Hancock 
j;ISCAL :-;OT£ REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
SENA TE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 04/01114 
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LD 1850 
LR 2782(03) 
Resolve, To Establish the Commission To Strengthen the Adequacy and Equity of Certain Cost 
Components of the School Funding Formula 
Fiscal Note for Senate Amendment '~' to Original Bill 
Sponsor: Sen. Langley of Hancock 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Removes Legislative Cost/Study 
FY 2013-14 
FY 2014-15 
Projections 
FY 2015-16 
Projections 
FY 2016-17 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/Allocations 
General Fund 
Legislative Cost/Study 
$0 
$0 
($10,000) 
$0 
($10,000) 
$0 
This amendment removes the study commission from the bill and eliminates the impact on the Legislature. 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
$0 
$0 
This amendment eliminates the one-time General Fund appropriation of $1 0,000 in fiscal year 2014-15 to the General 
Purpose Aid for Local Schools program within the Department of Education for the costs associated with contracting 
with a staffing agency to provide assistance to the commission. 
Current law requires the Department of Education to contract with a statewide education research institute for the 1) 
updating of the essential programs and services components (Title 20-A, § 15689-A, sub-§3) and 2) the compilation 
and analysis of education data (Title 20-A, § 15689-A, sub-§6). For fiscal year 2014-15, $250,000 is currently 
budgeted within the General Purpose Aid for Local Schools General Fund program account for each of these 
. contracts, for a total of$500,000. As amended, this legislation requires that, for fiscal year 2014-15 only, the 
Department of Education not contract with a statewide education research institute for the purposes established in 
current law, but instead allows these funds to be utilized to support the costs of the study. 
LR2782(03) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 2 
Pursuant to Public Law 2013, Chapter 368, Part F, the Governor's Office of Policy and Management identified 
potential savings for fiscal year 2014-15 and submitted its recommendations to the Joint Standing Committee on 
Appropriations and Financial Affairs on October 2, 2013. The report included a recommendation to eliminate the 
$500,000 in funding for both of the contracts listed in the paragraph above. Part F authorizes the Joint Standing 
Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs to submit legislation related to the report to the Second Regular 
Session of the 126th Legislature. Whether this recommendation will be included in legislation that may be reported 
out by the Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs can not be determined at this time. If 
the recommendation is included and the legislation is approved by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, this 
funding will not be available to support the work ofthe department and the institute. Unless an alternative funding 
source is identified or a General Fund appropriation is provided, the Department of Education and the Education 
Research Institute may not be able to complete all of the requirements of this legislation. 
LR2782(03) - Fiscal Note - Page 2 of 2