An Act To Reform Public Charter Schools
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1250
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: GIDEON, MILLETT, DAUGHTRY, HUBBELL, TIPPING-SPITZ
Amends: 20-A MRSA §2403, 20-A MRSA §2412, 20-A MRSA §2413

Legislative Document 
No. 1250 
H.P. 850 
House of Representatives, April 7, 2015 
An Act To Reform Public Charter Schools 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative GIDEON of Freeport. 
Cosponsored by Senator MILLETT of Cumberland and 
Representatives: DAUGHTRY of Brunswick, HUBBELL of Bar Harbor, TIPPING-SPITZ of 
Orono. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §2403, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 414, §5, is 
amended to read: 
1.  Information and technical assistance.  The department shall disseminate 
information on how to form and operate a public charter school and , on how to enroll in 
a public charter school once the school is created and on financial and contract matters of 
existing public charter schools. Upon receipt of information received from a public 
charter school under section 2412, subsection 4, paragraph F and section 2412-A, 
subsection 6, the department shall post that information on a publicly accessible portion 
of the department's website.  The department may provide assistance and guidance to 
authorizers in developing effective authorization and oversight procedures. 
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §2412, sub-§4, ¶F is enacted to read: 
F.  A public charter school must provide the department with information detailing 
every contract that the public charter school executes, including a lease, an 
employment contract or an agreement with an outside provider of materials or 
supplies or maintenance, administrative, food or educational services. 
Sec. 3.  20-A MRSA §2412, sub-§8 is enacted to read: 
8.  Governing boards.  A public charter school shall post notice for a meeting of the 
public charter school's governing board, including the date and time of the meeting, on a 
publicly accessible portion of the public charter school's website at least 30 days in 
advance of the meeting.  Governing board meetings must be open to the public.  The 
governing board shall ensure that accurate minutes are taken of a meeting of the 
governing board and post those minutes on a publicly accessible portion of the public 
charter school's website within 48 hours after the meeting has adjourned. 
Sec. 4.  20-A MRSA §2413, sub-§2, ¶D, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 414, §5, is 
amended to read: 
D.  A public charter school may receive gifts and grants from private sources in any 
manner that is available to a school administrative unit.  A gift or grant under this 
paragraph may not be conditional upon the public charter school's removing a staff 
member or teacher of the public charter school. 
SUMMARY 
This bill amends the laws governing public charter schools by: 
1.  Requiring the Department of Education to post the annual audit of a public charter 
school and information concerning every contract entered into by a public charter school 
on a publicly accessible portion of the department's website. 
2.  Requiring a public charter school to provide the Department of Education with 
information on every contract executed by the public charter school, including leases, 
employment contracts or agreements with outside providers of materials or supplies or 
maintenance, administrative, food or educational services. 
3.  Requiring that notice for governing board meetings of public charter schools be 
posted on a publicly accessible portion of the public charter school's website at least 30 
days before the meeting, that governing board meetings be open to the public and the 
governing board take accurate minutes of the meeting and post those minutes on a 
publicly accessible portion of the public charter school's website within 48 hours after 
adjournment of the meeting. 
4.  Prohibiting a public charter school from accepting a gift or grant that is 
conditional upon the removal of a staff member or teacher of the public charter school.