An Act To Expand Educational Opportunities for Students in the Unorganized Territories
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0840
Committee Amendment CA_A_H393 (House)
Amends: 20-A MRSA §3252

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "(/--" to H.P. 589, L.D. 840, Bill, "An Act To 
Expand Educational Opportunities for Students in the Unorganized Territories" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §3252, sub-§1, as repealed and replaced by PL 1985, c. 
490, §3, is amended to read: 
1. 
Elementary school privileges provided. 
The commissioner may provide 
elementmy schooling for resident children by establishing and maintaining such 
elementmy schools as may seem advisable or by sending these children as tuition 
students to elementmy schools elsewhere in the State. A student who was a tuition 
student at an elementary school prior to the 2016-2017 school year must continue to be 
accepted as a tuition student at that elementmy school until the student is no longer 
eligible to attend an elementary school. Transportation for the tuition student must be 
provided by the parent or guardian of the student.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the minority report of the committee. The amendment replaces the 
bill. The amendment provides that a student who resides in an unorganized territory that 
does not have an elementary school and who was a tuition student prior to the 2016-2017 
school year must continue to be accepted as a tuition student at that student's current 
elementmy school until that student is no longer eligible to attend an elementmy school. 
The amendment also provides that the parent or guardian of the tuition student who 
resides in an unorganized territory must provide transpo1iation to the elementary school 
that the student attends. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/26/17 feac 
LD840 
LR 78(02) 
An Act To Expand Educational Opportunities for Students in the Unorganized Territories 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 4,(f/--:3tf3) 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Cunent biennium cost increase - Education in Unorganized Territ01y 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
This legislation allows an elementary school student that resides in an unorganized territory that does not have an 
elementmy school and who attended a public elementmy school as a tuition student instead of a state-operated school 
in the unorganized territory prior to the 2016-2017 school year to continue to be able to attend the public school as a 
tuition student until the student is no longer eligible to attend elementary school. This provision will result in 
increased costs to the taxpayers in the unorganized tenit01y beginning in fiscal year 2017-18 if the cost for the student 
to attend the public elementary school is greater than the cost of that student attending a state-operated school. 
Although the exact cost can not be determined, the Department of Education estimates the cost to be approximately 
$222,466 in fiscal year 2017-18 and $185,728 in fiscal year 2018-19. The cost of this provision will continually 
decrease until fiscal year 2025-26 when the last student impacted by this legislation is expected to no longer be 
attending elementary school. 
LR0078(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1