An Act to Foster Innovation in Maine Schools by Updating the
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0081
Sponsors: MURPHY
Amends: 20-A MRSA §8

Legislative Document
No. 81
H.P. 45
House of Representatives, January 8, 2025
An Act to Foster Innovation in Maine Schools by Updating the 
Requirements of School Innovation Waivers
Submitted by the Department of Education pursuant to Joint Rule 204.
Received by the Clerk of the House on January 6, 2025.  Referred to the Committee on 
Education and Cultural Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to 
Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MURPHY of Scarborough.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §8, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2021, c. 571, §1, is further 
amended to read:
1.  School innovation.  For the purposes of this section, the term "school innovation" 
means the process by which schools and communities use pilot programs and or make 
significant changes in the existing school structure, including the policies, procedures, 
roles, relationships, pathways, approaches, pedagogies, philosophies and schedules that 
influence teaching and learning in the school, in order to support the best learning 
environments and opportunities for students.  School innovation recognizes the critical 
educational role of technology and integrates technology and technological systems in the 
classroom, in school governance and in school record keeping.  School innovation is based 
on:
A.  The development of comprehensive educational goals establishing community 
expectations for what all students should know, the skills they should possess, the 
attitude toward work and learning they should hold upon completing school and the 
role of the school in the community;
B.  A formal appraisal of the basic structures that govern operation of the school; and
C.  A commitment to revise the basic school structure to achieve the comprehensive 
educational goals.
School innovation, which is most effectively carried out at the local level, depends on 
community and educator involvement and approval and student participation.  School 
innovation includes may include understanding of the various roles of stakeholders, 
including parents, students, teachers, administrators, support staff, postsecondary 
education institutions and officials and various segments of the community.  It focuses on 
understanding and defining the root cause of challenges and innovates and tests solutions. 
School innovation may include a significantly broadened role for schools and school 
administrative units that engage in education research and development practices that can 
be attempted as a pilot program and shared with others. The commissioner may designate 
a school administrative unit that engages in education research and development as a 
demonstration site.
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §8, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2021, c. 571, §1, is further 
amended to read:
2.  Waiver of rules for local schools.  A school administrative unit undergoing 
engaged in school innovation may request that the commissioner waive the application of 
specific rules to that unit, or to certain schools in that unit, if the waiver is necessary to 
achieve the proposed school innovation.  The commissioner shall grant a waiver if the 
requesting unit, as determined by the commissioner, has:
A.  Demonstrated that one or more state rules prevent or seriously handicap inhibit the 
unit's pursuit of its school innovation goals;
B.  Demonstrated that reasonable steps have been taken to provide the safeguards 
offered by the rules in question to allow continued educational progress by students 
and protect the continuity and integrity of the unit and employees of that unit;
C.  Provided evidence that the necessary resources and community and staff support 
are present to ensure that the innovative changes requiring the waiver stand a 
reasonable chance of succeeding; and
D.  Informed any bargaining agent or agents representing affected school employees 
of the waiver request.; and
F.  Demonstrated an intention to engage in professional learning to support school 
innovation, which may include, but is not limited to:
(1)  Design thinking;
(2)  Interdisciplinary methods;
(3)  Outdoor learning;
(4)  Early childhood education;
(5)  Career exploration, including extended learning opportunities, junior 
achievement programs, entrepreneurial skills development and student-run 
businesses; and
(6)  So-called whole student approaches, including, but not limited to, the so-called 
Building Assets, Reducing Risks model, community schools, school-based health 
centers, alternative education programs, in-district special education programs, 
inclusive music and arts programs and inclusive science, technology, engineering 
and mathematics and computer science programs.
The department shall provide professional learning and technical assistance to schools 
seeking such support for school innovation.
The request for the waiver must include documentation to substantiate the conditions of 
this subsection.  If the request is denied, the commissioner shall provide the reasons for 
denying the request to the school administrative unit.
SUMMARY
This bill updates the school innovation statutes by eliminating certain requirements that 
school units must fulfill to obtain school innovation waivers.  The bill also updates 
language to reflect current practice and currently appropriate terminology.