An Act To Clarify the Laws Regarding Education in the Unorganized Territories
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1434
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: TUELL
Amends: 20-A MRSA §3251, 20-A MRSA §3301, 20-A MRSA §3351, 20-A MRSA §6209, 20-A MRSA §6214

Legislative Document
No. 1434
H.P. 989
House of Representatives, April 13, 2017
An Act To Clarify the Laws Regarding Education in the 
Unorganized Territories
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative TUELL of East Machias.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §3251, as amended by PL 2001, c. 454, §11, is further 
amended to read: 
§3251.  School privileges in the unorganized territories 
Subject to such reasonable rules as the commissioner may adopt, all persons who 
have attained the age of 5 years on October 15th and have not reached 20 years of age 
before the start of the school year and who reside with a parent in the unorganized 
territory or who are resident emancipated minors or residents at least 18 years old are 
eligible to attend elementary and secondary schools and to receive appropriate special 
education and related services without charge to themselves or their parents.  Education 
must be provided in alignment with the system of learning results as established in 
section 6209 under the direction of the commissioner, must meet the requirements of 
section 4722-A and must meet the general standards for elementary and secondary 
schooling and special education established pursuant to this Title. 
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §3301, sub-§§1 and 2, as amended by PL 1985, c. 490, §9, 
are repealed. 
Sec. 3.  20-A MRSA §3301, sub-§2-A is enacted to read: 
2-A.  Administrative services.  The commissioner shall make contractual 
arrangements for school administrative services for the unorganized territory with 
neighboring school administrative units. 
Sec. 4.  20-A MRSA §3351, sub-§6 is enacted to read: 
6.  Finance report.  By June 30, 2018 and annually thereafter, the department shall 
for that completed fiscal year report the amount appropriated under subsection 1, 
expended under subsection 2 and carried forward under subsection 3-A, as well as any 
gifts and bequests credited under subsection 4, to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs and publish the report 
on the department's publicly accessible website. 
Sec. 5.  20-A MRSA §6209, first ¶, as amended by PL 2015, c. 489, §3, is further 
amended to read: 
The department in consultation with the state board shall establish and implement a 
comprehensive, statewide system of learning results, which may include a core of 
standards in English language arts and mathematics for kindergarten to grade 12 
established in common with the other states, as set forth in this section and in department 
rules implementing this section and other curricular requirements. The department must 
establish accountability standards at all grade levels in the areas of mathematics; reading; 
and science and technology. The department shall establish parameters for essential 
instruction in English language arts; mathematics; science and technology; social studies; 
career and education development; visual and performing arts; health, physical education 
and wellness; and world languages.  Only a public school, a public charter school as 
defined in section 2401, subsection 9, a public school located in an unorganized territory 
or a private school approved for tuition purposes that enrolls at least 60% publicly funded 
students, as determined by the previous school year's October and April average 
enrollment, is required to participate in the system of learning results set forth in this 
section and in department rules implementing this section and other curricular 
requirements.  The commissioner shall develop accommodation provisions for instances 
where course content conflicts with sincerely held religious beliefs and practices of a 
student's parent or guardian.  The system must be adapted to accommodate children with 
disabilities as defined in section 7001, subsection 1-B. 
Sec. 6.  20-A MRSA §6214, first ¶, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 500, §1, is 
amended to read: 
Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, for public schools, public charter schools, 
public schools located in an unorganized territory and private schools approved for tuition 
purposes that enroll at least 60% publicly funded students, the commissioner shall 
implement a school accountability system to measure school performance and student 
proficiency in achieving the knowledge and skills described in the parameters for 
essential instruction and graduation requirements established under section 6209, 
subsection 2 and that meets the reporting requirements of the federal Every Student 
Succeeds Act of 2015, 20 United States Code, Section 6311(h) and related regulations. 
SUMMARY 
This bill clarifies the following state laws related to education in the unorganized 
territories. 
1.  It requires the Department of Education to collect and publish academic outcome 
data for any public school located in an unorganized territory.  The data must be collected 
and published in accordance with existing kindergarten to grade 12 educational reporting 
guidelines. 
2.  It requires the Department of Education to develop and publish budget data for 
any public school located in an unorganized territory.  The data must be collected and 
published in accordance with existing kindergarten to grade 12 educational reporting 
guidelines. 
3.  It eliminates the Commissioner of Education's power to appoint agents and special 
attendance officers in the unorganized territories and requires that the Department of 
Education contract for school administrative services for the unorganized territories with 
neighboring school administrative units. 
4.  It provides that public schools located in unorganized territories are subject to the 
requirements of the system of learning results.