2023 Maine Revised Statutes › TITLE 20-A: EDUCATION › Part 2: SCHOOL ORGANIZATION › Chapter 103-A: REGIONAL SCHOOL UNITS › Subchapter 4: FINANCING › 20-A §1481-A. Finances

§1481-A. Finances
1.  Apportionment of costs for regional school unit.
A regional school unit may raise money, in addition to the local contribution pursuant to section 15690, subsection 1, for establishing and maintaining public schools, erecting buildings and providing equipment for educational purposes. The additional costs of operating a regional school unit must be shared among all municipalities within the regional school unit by the same local share percentages for each municipality resulting from the determination of the local contribution under section 15688.
[PL 2007, c. 668, §15 (NEW).]
2.  Existing cost-sharing agreement.
Notwithstanding subsection 1, a cost-sharing agreement in existence on June 7, 2007 that was adopted pursuant to Public Law 2005, chapter 2 or pursuant to a private and special law remains in existence unless the parties to the agreement modify or terminate the agreement:
A. As part of a reorganization to regional school units under this chapter; or   [PL 2007, c. 668, §15 (NEW).]
B. As a result of a negotiated agreement between the parties to the cost-sharing agreement.   [PL 2007, c. 668, §15 (NEW).]
[PL 2007, c. 668, §15 (NEW).]
2-A.  Reformulated school administrative district cost-sharing.
For those school administrative districts recreated as regional school units pursuant to Public Law 2007, chapter 240, Part XXXX, section 36, subsection 12 as amended by chapter 668, methods of cost-sharing and amendments of the cost-sharing formula must be in accordance with section 1301.
[PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. E, §3 (NEW).]
3.  Method included in reorganization plan.
Notwithstanding subsection 1, a regional school unit may use a method of cost sharing that was included in a reorganization plan developed pursuant to section 1461 or Public Law 2007, chapter 240, Part XXXX, section 36 as long as the method complies with this subsection.
A. The costs of operating a regional school unit must be shared among all municipalities within the unit in one of the following ways.
(1) Under a property valuation method, municipalities in a unit shall share costs in the same proportion as each municipality's property fiscal capacity as defined in section 15672, subsection 23 is to the unit's property fiscal capacity.
(2) Under an alternate method of cost sharing, municipalities in a unit shall share costs based on:
(a) The number of resident pupils in each town;
(b) The property fiscal capacity of each member municipality as defined in section 15672, subsection 23;
(c) Any combination of divisions (a) and (b); or
(d) Any other factor or combination of factors that may, but need not, include divisions (a) or (b).   [PL 2007, c. 668, §15 (NEW).]
B. A process of amending the cost-sharing formula must be included in the reorganization plan.   [PL 2007, c. 668, §15 (NEW).]
[PL 2007, c. 668, §15 (NEW).]
Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a cost-sharing agreement in existence on June 7, 2007 that was adopted pursuant to Public Law 2005, chapter 2 or pursuant to a private and special law may not be construed to preempt the formation of a regional school unit under this chapter. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a cost-sharing agreement between 2 or more municipalities in existence on June 7, 2007 that was adopted prior to June 7, 2007 may not be construed to preempt the formation of a regional school unit under this chapter.   [PL 2007, c. 668, §15 (NEW).]
Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, a municipality within a regional school unit may raise money and direct the spending of the funds to any school within the regional school unit.   [PL 2007, c. 668, §15 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2007, c. 668, §15 (NEW). PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. E, §3 (AMD).