An Act To Establish a Process for the Implementation of Universal Voluntary Prekindergarten Education
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1530
Committee Amendment CA_A-SA_A_S518 (Senate)
Amends: 20-A MRSA §1001, 20-A MRSA §4501, 20-A MRSA §15671, 20-A MRSA §15674, 20-A MRSA §15675, 20-A MRSA §15681, 20-A MRSA §15688-A

SENATE AMENDMENT" A" to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 577, 
L.D. 1530, Bill, "An Act To Establish a Process for the Implementation of Universal 
Voluntary Prekindergarten Education" 
Amend the amendment by striking out all of sections 2 to 4 and inserting the 
following: 
'Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §1001, sub-§8, as amended by PL 1983, c. 859, Pt. K, §§3 
and 7, is fhrther amended to read: 
8. Operate public preschool programs, kindergarten and grades one to 12. They 
shall either operate programs in kindergarten and grades + one to 12 or otherwise provide 
for students to participate in those grades as authorized elsewhere in this Title. To the 
extent the State provides adequate start-up funding, they may operate public preschool 
programs or provide for students to participate in such programs in accordance with the 
requirements of this Title. They shall determine which students shall attend each school, 
classify them and tr-ansfer them from school to school where more than one school is 
maintained at the same time. 
Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA c. 203, sub-c. 3 is enacted to read: 
SUBCHAPTER 3 
PUBLIC PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN 4 YEARS OF AGE 
§4271. Start-up funding for public preschool programs 
1. Start-up funding. To the extent the State provides adequate start-up funding, 
school administrative units may operate public preschool programs or provide for 
students to participate in such programs in accordance with the requirements of this Title. 
For the purposes of this subchapter, "start-up funding" means a one-time, start-up grant 
awarded to a qualified school administr-ative unit that submits an implementation plan 
that is approved by the department for the operation of a new or expanded public 
preschool program. 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
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SENATE AMENDMENT" A " to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 577, L.D. 1530 
2. 
Allowable costs. 
Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year and for each 
subsequent school year, the State may provide start-up funding for the allowable costs to 
operate public preschool programs for children 4 years of age under this subchapter. 
3. Grant funds. Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year and for each subsequent 
school year, the commissioner may provide start-up funding to qualified school 
administrative units to operate public preschool programs for children 4 years of age. 
Grants provided for allowable costs for approved public preschool programs must be 
provided from state, federal or private funds appropriated, allocated or authorized by the 
Legislature for that purpose and must include $4,000,000 annually in revenues distributed 
from general purpose aid for local schools that the department receives from casino slot 
machines or casino table games pursuant to section 15671, subsection 5-A. Any balance 
of funds appropriated, allocated or authorized by the Legislature remaining at the end of a 
fiscal year do not lapse and are carried forward to the next fiscal year to carry out the 
purposes of this subchapter. 
4. 
Qualifications; rules. 
To qualify for a grant under this section, a school 
administrative unit must submit an implementation plan to the department for the 
operation of a new or expanded public preschool program. The qualifications established 
for implementation plans must contain standards and best practices for public preschool 
programs and must encourage a school administrative unit to demonstrate coordination 
with other early childhood programs in the community to maximize resources and 
provide comprehensive services to meet the needs of children 4 years of age in 
accordance with this subchapter and rules adopted by the commissioner. In awarding 
grants under this section, the commissioner shall give priority to a qualified school 
administrative unit that has a greater percentage of economically disadvantaged students 
as determined pursuant to section 15675, subsection 2 than other gualified school 
administrative units under this subsection and in accordance with the following order of 
preference: 
A. 
The first preference must be to award grant funds to a qualified school 
administrative unit that does not operate a public preschool program and that submits 
a plan for the development and operation of a new public preschool program; and 
B. 
The 2nd preference must be to award grant funds to a gua1ified school 
administrative unit that operates a public preschool program and that submits a plan 
for the development and operation of an expanded public preschool program. 
The commissioner shall adopt rules that establish criteria for the approval of 
implementation plans and for the awarding of start-up funds for the allowable costs of 
operating public preschool programs. 
Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are 
routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
5. Application for federal public preschool funds. The department may apply for 
assistance from the Federal Government for the development of public preschool 
programs for children 4 years of age on behalf of school administrative units in the State. 
The department shall administer any federal funds received for the benefit of public 
preschool programs in the State. As the designated state agency authorized to administer 
federal funds, the department shall develop a state plan and application for funding public 
preschool programs and shall disburse federal funds as auth0l1zed and required by 
applicable federal law. Beginning in fiscal year 2015-16, the department shall provide 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
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SENATE AMENDMENT "A "to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 577, L.D. 1530 
any federal funds received to qualified school administrative units as part of the start-up 
funding provided for the development and operation of public preschool programs under 
this section. If federal funds are used as part of the start-up funds to operate new or 
expanded public preschool programs, the students enrolled in these programs must be 
considered subsidizable pupils for purposes of state subsidy calculations pursuant to 
chapter 606-B. 
Sec. 4. 20-A MRSA §4501, as amended by PL 2007, c. 141, §6, is further 
amended to read: 
§4S01. Duty of school units 
In accordance with the policy expressed in section 2, every school administrative unit 
shall raise annually sufficient funds to maintain or support elementary and secondary 
schools to provide free education for its resident students at all grade levels. These 
schools shall meet the requirements of basic school approval. Selleol units that ehoose to 
To the extent the State provides adequate start-up funding, a school administrative unit 
may offer an opportunity for every child 4 years of age residing in the school 
administrative unit to attend a public preschool program must meet, or a program 
affiliated with the school administrative unit, meeting the requirements of basic school 
approval. It is the goal of the State to provide adequate start-up funding to ensure that 
public preschool programs for children 4 years of age are offered by all school 
administrative units by the 2018-2019 school year. 
1. Assessment. The commissioner shall adopt rules that strongly encourage the use 
of a unifonn common statewide assessment program for kindergarten, which may be used 
by school administrative units in addition to other quality assessments school 
administrative units detennine to be necessary beginning with the 2016-2017 school year. 
The unifonn common statewide assessment must be designed to' measure student 
comprehension of academic content and mastery of related skills and cover such areas as 
physical health and motor development; social and emotional development; learning 
styles; language and literacy; and general cognition. 
Rules adopted pursuant to this 
section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
2. Grant funds. Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, in accordance with this 
section, the department, if funds are available, shall award grants pursuant to section 4271 
to each qualified school administrative unit equal to the school administrative unit's 
allowable costs to implement the approved plan to develop and operate a new or 
expanded public preschool program. Grant funds must be used to fund the allowable 
costs of the implementation plan not otherwise subsidized by the State.' 
Amend the amendment in section 5 in subsection 9 in the first paragraph in the 2nd 
line (page 4, line 33 in amendment) by inserting after the following: "adequate" the 
following: 'start-up' 
Amend the amendment in section 5 in subsection 9 in the first paragraph in the 4th 
line (page 4, line 35 in amendment) by striking out the following: "shall" and inserting 
the following: 'may' 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
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SENATE AMENDMENT "A" to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 577, L.D. 1530 
Amend the amendment in section 5 in subsection 9 in the last paragraph in the first 
line (page 5, line 1 in amendment) by striking out the following: "shall provide grants" 
and inserting the following: 'may provide start-up funding' 
Amend the amendment by striking out all of sections 6 and 7 and inserting the 
following: 
'Sec. 6. 20-A MRSA §15671, sub-§5-A, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 368, Pt. C, 
§5, is amended to read: 
5-A. Funds from casino slot machines or table games. Revenues received by the 
department from casino slot machines or casino table games pursuant to Title 8, section 
1036, subsection 2-A, paragraph A or Title 8, section 1036, subsection 2-B, paragraph A 
must be distributed until the end of fiscal year 2014-15 as general purpose aid for local 
schools, and each school administrative unit shall make its own determination as to how 
to allocate these resources. Beginning in fiscal year 2015-16, $4,000,000 in revenues 
must be distributed by the department to provide start-up funds for approved public 
preschool programs for children 4 years of age in accordance with chapter 203, 
subchapter 3. Neither the Governor nor the Legislature may divert the revenues payable 
to the department to any other fund or for any other use. Any proposal to enact or amend 
a law to allow distribution of the revenues paid to the department from casino slot 
machines or casino table games for another purpose must be submitted to the Legislative 
Council and to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
education matters at least 30 days prior to any vote or public hearing on the proposal. 
Sec. 7. 20-A MRSA §15674, sub-§3 is enacted to read: 
3. Pupil count for public preschool programs. Beginning with funding for the 
2015-2016 school year, the pupil count for students 4 years of age and students 5 years of 
age attending public preschool programs must be based on the most recent October 1 st 
count prior to the year of funding. 
Sec. 8. 20-A MRSA §15675, sub-§3, ~A, as amended by PL 2007, c. 141, §15, 
is further amended to read: 
A. For purposes of the additional weight under this subsection, the count of public 
preschool program to grade 2 students is calculated based on the number of resident 
pupils in the most recent calendar year. Beginning with funding for the 2015-16 
school year, the pupil Calmt for students 4 years of age and students 5 years of age 
attending public preschool programs must be based on the most recent October 1 st 
count prior to the allocation year. 
Sec. 9. 20-A MRSA §15681, sub-§I, ~C, as amended by PL 2007, c. 141, §16, 
is further amended to read: 
C. 
To receive targeted public preschool program to grade 2 funds calculated 
pursuant to subsection 4, the school administrative unit must be in compliance with 
any applicable reporting requirements for local early childhood programs. 
Any 
program must be in compliance with chapter 203, subchapter 2 or 3. 
Sec. 10. 20-A MRSA §15688-A, sub-§4 is enacted to read: 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
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SENATE AMENDMENT "A "to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 577, LD. 1530 
4. New or expanded public preschool programs for children 4 years of age. 
Beginning in fiscal year 2015-16 and for each subsequent fiscal year, the commissioner 
may expend and disburse one-time, start-up funds to provide grants for expanded access 
to public preschool programs for children 4 years of age pursuant to chapter 203, 
subchapter 3. The amounts of the grant funding provided to qualified school 
administrative units pursuant to chapter 203, subchapter 3 are limited to the amounts 
appropriated, allocated or authorized by the Legislature for the operation of public 
preschool programs. Any balance of funds appropriated, allocated or authorized by the 
Legislature remaining at the end of a fiscal year do not lapse and are carried fOlward to 
the next fiscal year to carry out the purposes of chapter 203, subchapter 3.' 
Amend the amendment in section 9 in the first paragraph in the 4th line (page 6, line 
in amendment) by striking out the following: "5" and inserting the following: '4' 
Amend the amendment by striking out all of section 10 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 10. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
General Purpose Aid for Local Schools 0308 
Initiative: Reduces funding for the bus refurbishing program. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2013-14 
$0 
$0 
2014-15 
($69,877) 
($69,877) 
PK-20, Adult Education and Federal Programs Team Z081 
Initiative: Provides funds for 80% of one Early Childhood Coordinator position and 
related All Other costs beginning in fiscal year 2014-15. 
GENERAL FUND 
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT 
Personal Services 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
2013-14 
0.000 
$0 
$0 
$0 
2013-14 
$0 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
2014-15 
1.000 
$64,877 
$5,000 
$69,877 
2014-15 
$0 
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SENATE AMENDMENT" A" to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 577, L.D. 1530 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
$0 
$0 
Amend the amendment by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter 
or section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment amends Committee Amendment "A." The amendment differs from 
Committee Amendment "A" in the following ways. 
1. It removes the provisions that would have required school administrative units to 
submit an implementation plan for operating a new or expanded public preschool 
program by the 2018-2019 school year and provides that, beginning in the 2015-2016 
school year and for each subsequent school year, a school administrative unit may receive 
start-up funding if the school administrative unit submits an implementation plan for 
operating a new or expanded public preschool program that is approved by the 
Department of Education. 
2. It defines "start-up funding" as a one-time, start-up grant for the operation of a new 
or expanded public preschool program and it provides that, to the extent the Legislature 
appropriates or allocates adequate start-up funding from state, federal or private funds for 
these grants, the Commissioner of Education may award grants to qualified school 
administrative units to operate a new or expanded public preschool program. 
3. It provides that, beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, $4,000,000 of revenues 
received by the Department of Education from casino slot machines or casino table 
games must be distributed by the department to provide annual start-up funds for 
approved public preschool programs for children 4 years of age. 
4. It provides that, beginning with funding for the 2015-2016 school year, the count 
for students 4 years of age and 5 years of age attending public preschool programs must 
be based on the most recent October 1 st pupil count prior to the year of funding. 
5. It modifies the rule-making provision related to the qualifications to be included in 
the Department of Education rules for the approval of implementation plans and the 
awarding of grants to school administrative units for operating new or expanded public 
preschool programs. The amendment strikes the requirement that the application 
submitted by a school administrative unit must meet standards and best practices for 
public preschool programs and must be coordinated with other early childhood programs 
in the community and replaces these provisions with language that permits the 
department's rules to address these criteria. 
6. It strikes the provision that would have established an adjustment to the state share 
of the total allocation for new or expanded public preschool programs and replaces this 
provision to authorize the Commissioner of Education to expend and disburse one-time, 
start-up funds to provide grants for expanded access to public preschool programs for 
children 4 years of age. 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
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SENATE AMENDMENT "A" to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 577, L.D. 1530 
7. It adds a new appropriations and allocations section to transfer General Fund funds 
from the bus refurbishing program to fund the costs of an early childhood coordinator 
position. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
~~
eeat Ched~_ 
SPONSORED BY: 
_ 
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(Senator MILLETT) 
COUNTY: Cumberland 
SENA TE AMENDMENT 
Revised: 04/09/14~ae 
LD 1530 
LR 171(04) 
An Act To Establish a Process for the Implementation of Universal Voluntary Prekindergarten 
Education 
Fiscal Note for Senate Amendment 'AI to Committee Amendment "A" 
Sponsor: Sen. Millett of Cumberland 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/Allocations 
General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Undetermined future biennium cost increase - General Fund 
Projections FY 
FY 2013-14 
FY 2014-15 
2015-16 
$0 
($69,877) 
($69,667) 
$0 
($69,877) 
($69,667) 
Projections 
FY 2016-17 
($320,576) 
($320,576) 
This amendment includes a General Fund deappropriation of $69,877 to the General Purpose Aid for Local Schools 
program within the Depaliment of Education which reduces funding for the bus refurbishing program in order to fund 
the appropriation in the committee amendment. This amendment also eliminates the estimated one-time cost of 
$248,000 in fiscal year 2016-17 to provide professional development by removing the requirement that a uniform 
common statewide assessment program for kindergarten be used by all local school administrative units (SAO's) 
beginning with the 2016-2017 school year. This amendment, instead, makes utilizing the assessment optional. The cost 
to the Department of Education to provide professional development to those SAO's that choose to utilize the uniform 
common statewide assessment program beginning in fiscal year 2016-17 can not be determined at this time. 
This amendment removes the requirement that school administrative units (SAO's) operate or otherwise provide for the 
availability of a public preschool program if adequate funds are provided and instead provides for one-time start-up 
grant funds to be available to those SAO's that submit an implementation plan to the Department of Education to operate 
a new or expand an existing public preschool program. 
Finally, this amendment eliminates the requirement that all revenues from casino slot machines or table games received 
by the department beginning in fiscal year 2015-16 must be used for approved public preschool programs and instead 
provides that, beginning in fiscal 2015-16, $4,000,000 per year in slot machine and table games revenue received by the 
department must be distributed to provide start-up grants for approved public preschool programs. 
LRO 171 (04) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1