An Act To Remove the Limit on the Number of Public Charter Schools That May Be Approved
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1158
Committee Amendment CA_A_S217 (Senate)
Amends: 20-A MRSA §2405

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 379, L.D. 1158, Bill, "An Act To 
Remove the Limit on the Number of Public Charter Schools That May Be Approved" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Increase the Limit on the Number of Public Charter Schools That May 
Be Approved' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §2405, sub-§9, as amended by PL 2011, c. 570, §8, is 
further amended to read: 
9. Transition period. The public charter school program set out in this chapter must 
begin with a 10-year transition period, beginning on the effective date of this chapter. 
During the transition period, the commissioner shall register the charters approved by all 
authorizers in chronological order by date of approval under this chapter. During the 
transition period, only 10 public charter schools may be approved by the commission. 
Once the cap is reached, the oofflffl:issioaer commission may not aooept further 
registratioas from the oommissioa B:lld only 1000:l approve no more than one additional 
public charter school each school year through the end of the 2021-2022 school year. 
Local school boards and collaboratives of local school boards may approve charters until 
the end of the transition period. 
This subsection is repealed July 1, 2022.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment, which is the minority report of the committee, replaces the bill and 
changes the title. 
The bill removes the limit on the number of public charter schools that may be 
approved. Under current law there is a 10-year transition period during which the Maine 
Charter School Commission may approve only 10 public charter schools. Once the cap is 
Page I - 128LR0697(02)-1 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
I 
COMMITIEE AMENDMENT" A 
"to S.P. 379, L.D. 1158 
reached, the Commissioner of Education may not accept further registrations from the 
commission until the provision is repealed on July 1, 2022. The amendment provides 
that, once the 10-school limit is reached, the commission may approve no more than one 
additional charter school each school year through the end of the 2021-2022 school year. 
This change does not affect the authority under current law for local school boards and 
collaboratives of local school boards to approve charters until the end of the 10-year 
transition period. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
• 
Approved: 05/20/17 :tY.ae!-
LD 1158 
LR 697(02) 
An Act To Remove the Limit on the Number of Public Charter Schools That May Be Approved 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 'f:\' ( CS- [) \j 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Redistribution of state subsidy - local school administrative units 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Allowing for one additional charter school per year to be approved during the remainder of the 10-year transition 
period, once the current limit of 10 public charter schools is met, will result in a redistribution of state subsidy away 
from local school administrative units and to the new public charter school. The impact on individual school 
administrative units will depend on the number of new public charter schools established and the number of students 
that choose to leave their current school to attend the new public charter school. 
LR0697(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1