An Act Authorizing the Deorganization of the Town of Bancroft
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1280
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: SHERMAN, LONG, WILLETTE
Amends: 20-A MRSA §8451

Legislative Document 
No. 1280 
S.P. 442 
In Senate, April 2, 2013 
An Act Authorizing the Deorganization of the Town of Bancroft 
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed. 
DAREK M. GRANT 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator SHERMAN of Aroostook. 
Cosponsored by Representative LONG of Sherman and 
Representative: WILLETTE of Mapleton. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
PART A 
Sec. A-1.  20-A MRSA §8451, sub-§2, ¶B, as repealed and replaced by PL 2011, 
c. 679, §17, is amended to read: 
B.  Region 2.  SOUTHERN AROOSTOOK COUNTY.  Units located in this region 
include: 
(1)  Bancroft; 
(2)  Benedicta Township; 
(3)  Orient; 
(4)  Regional School Unit No. 29 doing business as School Administrative 
District No. 29 (Hammond, Houlton, Littleton and Monticello); 
(5)  Regional School Unit No. 50 (Crystal, Dyer Brook, Hersey, Island Falls, 
Merrill, Moro Plantation, Mount Chase, Oakfield, Patten, Sherman, Smyrna and 
Stacyville); 
(6)  Regional School Unit No. 70 doing business as School Administrative 
District No. 70 (Amity, Cary Plantation, Haynesville and Hodgdon) and Linneus, 
Ludlow and New Limerick; and 
(7)  Regional School Unit No. 84 doing business as School Administrative 
District No. 14 (Danforth and Weston). 
Sec. A-2.  Effective date.  This Part takes effect July 1, 2015 if the deorganization 
of the Town of Bancroft is approved pursuant to Part B, section 5. 
PART B 
Sec. B-1.  Deorganization of Town of Bancroft.  Notwithstanding any contrary 
requirement of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, chapter 302, if in accordance with 
Title 30-A, section 7207 a majority of the voters in the Town of Bancroft approve the 
deorganization procedure developed in accordance with Title 30-A, section 7205 and if 
the deorganization is approved by the voters of the Town of Bancroft pursuant to section 
of this Part, the Town of Bancroft in Aroostook County is deorganized, except that the 
corporate existence, powers, duties and liabilities of the town survive for the purposes of 
prosecuting and defending all pending suits to which the town is, or may be, a party and 
all needful process arising out of any suits, including provisions for the payment of all or 
any judgments or debts that may be rendered against the town or exist in favor of any 
creditor. 
Sec. B-2.  Unexpended school funds.  The treasurer of the town or any other 
person who has custody of the funds of the town shall pay the Treasurer of State all 
unexpended school funds that, together with the credits due the town for school purposes, 
are to be used by the State Tax Assessor to settle any school obligations contracted by the 
town before deorganization. Any unexpended school funds remaining with the Treasurer 
of State after all the obligations have been met must be added to the Unorganized 
Territory Education and Services Fund, as established in the Maine Revised Statutes, 
Title 36, chapter 115. 
Sec. B-3.  Provision of education services.  Notwithstanding any other law, this 
section entitles all prekindergarten to grade 5 pupils in the Town of Bancroft to attend 
school in Kingman Township, all grade 6 to grade 8 pupils to attend a school within 
Maine School Administrative District 30, all grade 9 to grade 12 pupils to attend Lee 
Academy and all pupils requiring special education services to obtain special education 
services under the direction of the Director of Special Education for the Division of State 
Schools - Education in Unorganized Territory. Pupils must be provided transportation at 
state expense to those schools. Prior approval by the Director of State Schools - 
Education in Unorganized Territory and the approval of tuition by the Commissioner of 
Education are required for a pupil to attend a school other than one listed in this section. 
Tuition may not exceed statutory limits. Transportation of a student who attends another 
school is the responsibility of the parent or legal guardian. The provisions in this section 
are subject to modification in response to educational conditions. 
Sec. B-4.  Assessment of taxes.  The State Tax Assessor shall assess the real and 
personal property taxes in the Town of Bancroft as of April 1, 2015, as provided in the 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 36, chapter 115. 
Sec. B-5.  Referendum; certificate to Secretary of State.  This Part takes 
effect 90 days after its approval only for the purpose of permitting its submission by the 
municipal officers to the legal voters of the Town of Bancroft by ballot at the next 
statewide election to be held in November. This election must be called, advertised and 
conducted according to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, sections 2528 and 2532. 
The town clerk shall prepare the required ballots on which the clerk shall reduce the 
subject matter of this Part to the following question: 
"Shall the Town of Bancroft be deorganized?" 
The voters shall indicate their opinion on this question by a cross or check mark 
placed against the word "Yes" or "No." Before becoming effective, this Part must be 
approved by at least 2/3 of the legal voters voting at the election, and the total number of 
votes cast for and against the acceptance of this Part at the election must equal or exceed 
50% of the total number of votes cast in the town for Governor at the last gubernatorial 
election. 
The municipal officers of the Town of Bancroft shall declare the result of the vote. 
The town clerk shall file a certificate of the election result with the Secretary of State 
within 10 days from the date of the election. 
Sec. B-6.  Effective date.  Sections 1 to 4 of this Part take effect on July 1, 2015 if 
deorganization is approved by the voters of the Town of Bancroft pursuant to section 5 of 
this Part. 
SUMMARY 
This bill provides for the deorganization of the Town of Bancroft in Aroostook 
County, subject to approval at local referendum, including the removal of the Town of 
Bancroft from Region 2 career and technical education region in statute.