Resolve, To Create a State-run Virtual Academy Providing Maine Students with Access to Online Learning through Their Existing School Districts
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0391
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: HUBBELL

Legislative Document 
No. 391 
H.P. 257 
House of Representatives, February 12, 2015 
Resolve, To Create a State-run Virtual Academy Providing Maine 
Students with Access to Online Learning through Their Existing 
School Districts 
(EMERGENCY) 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative HUBBELL of Bar Harbor. 
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, it is crucial that the Department of Education, education stakeholders and 
school administrative units begin their work as soon as possible to ensure the stakeholder 
group convened by the department pursuant to this resolve has sufficient time to obtain 
information and develop plans to establish online and digital learning opportunities and to 
develop a memorandum of understanding that provides Maine secondary school students 
with the opportunity to access a virtual learning academy during the 2015-2016 school 
year; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore, be it 
Sec. 1.  Stakeholder group to develop online and digital learning 
opportunities. Resolved:  That the Department of Education shall convene a 
stakeholder group to develop plans to establish online and digital learning opportunities, 
which may include a state-administered virtual academy and a state-administered digital 
learning exchange, that provide all public schools in the State access to online instruction, 
online courses and digital learning resources for their students. The stakeholder group 
must include a member of the Maine Charter School Commission, established in the 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, section 12004-G, subsection 10-D, and representatives of 
education associations in the State, including but not limited to representatives of the 
Maine School Superintendents Association, the Maine School Boards Association, the 
Maine Principals' Association and the Maine Education Association, and Maine educators 
who are currently providing online and digital learning opportunities for their students 
through the virtual high school program. In designing online and digital learning 
opportunities the stakeholder group, in collaboration with the Department of Education, 
shall: 
1. Ensure that any virtual academy provides for a blended learning environment that 
offers access to virtual classes along with traditional classroom-based instruction; 
2. Ensure that any digital learning exchange provides expanded digital learning 
opportunities to all Maine students and establishes a clearinghouse of open educational 
resources available to all educators, parents and students; 
3. Place particular emphasis on enhancing curriculum and addressing potential 
scheduling obstacles, including scheduling obstacles that may be encountered by students 
in career and technical education programs; and 
4. Use as models the Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative, the Virtual Learning 
Academy Charter School in New Hampshire and digital learning exchanges in other 
states and jurisdictions. 
The stakeholder group, with the assistance of the Department of Education, shall 
complete the design of online and digital learning opportunities by July 1, 2015; and be it 
further 
Sec. 2.  Access to a virtual learning academy during the 2015-2016 school 
year. Resolved: That, by July 1, 2015, the stakeholder group convened pursuant to 
section 1, in collaboration with school administrative units in the State, shall make a good 
faith effort to develop a memorandum of understanding with the Virtual Learning 
Academy Charter School in New Hampshire to provide Maine secondary school students 
with access to virtual learning programs during the 2015-2016 school year through the 
Virtual Learning Academy Charter School in New Hampshire. The memorandum of 
understanding must include the agreement of participating school administrative units and 
the Virtual Learning Academy Charter School in New Hampshire to provide access to 
virtual learning programs that serve the best interest of Maine secondary school students 
and that reduce to the greatest extent possible the cost of admission to virtual learning 
programs during the 2015-2016 school year.  The Commissioner of Education shall 
submit a copy of any memorandum of understanding developed in accordance with this 
section to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs by July 15, 
2015; and be it further 
Sec. 3.  Report. Resolved: That, by December 1, 2015, the Commissioner of 
Education or the commissioner’s designee, on behalf of the stakeholder group pursuant to 
section 1, shall submit a report, including findings and any recommended legislation 
necessary to implement plans for the establishment of online and digital learning 
opportunities, which may include a state-administered virtual academy and a state-
administered digital learning exchange, to the Joint Standing Committee on Education 
and Cultural Affairs.  The joint standing committee may submit a bill related to the report 
to the Second Regular Session of the 127th Legislature. 
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
This resolve does the following. 
1.  It directs the Department of Education to convene a stakeholder group to develop 
plans to establish online and digital learning opportunities, which may include a state-
administered virtual academy and a state-administered digital learning exchange, that 
provide all public schools in the State access to online instruction, online courses and 
digital learning resources for their students. 
2.  It directs the stakeholder group, in collaboration with the Department of 
Education, to complete the design of online and digital learning opportunities for Maine 
students and submit a report, including findings and any necessary implementing 
legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs by 
December 1, 2015. 
3.  It directs the stakeholder group, in collaboration with school administrative units 
in the State, to develop a memorandum of understanding with the Virtual Learning 
Academy Charter School in New Hampshire to provide Maine secondary school students 
with access to virtual learning programs during the 2015-2016 school year.