2023 Maine Revised Statutes › TITLE 20-A: EDUCATION › Part 7: SCHOOL FINANCE › Chapter 606-B: ESSENTIAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES › 20-A §15690. Local appropriations

§15690. Local appropriations
Beginning with the budget for the 2005-2006 school year, the following provisions apply to local appropriations for school purposes.   [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
1.  School administrative unit contribution to total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12.
The legislative body of each school administrative unit may vote to raise and appropriate an amount up to its required contribution to the total cost of education as described in section 15688, except that funds provided under Title XIV of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 as part of the amount restored to a school administrative unit’s fiscal years 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 share of general purpose aid as determined under this chapter must be used to lower the school administrative unit’s required contribution to the total cost of education.
A. For a municipal school unit, an article in substantially the following form must be used when a single municipal school administrative unit is considering the appropriation of an amount up to its required contribution to the total cost of education as described in section 15688.
(1) "Article.....: To see what sum the municipality will appropriate for the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act (Recommend $......) and to see what sum the municipality will raise as the municipality's contribution to the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20‑A, section 15688. (Recommend $......)"
(2) The following statement must accompany the article in subparagraph (1). "Explanation: The school administrative unit's contribution to the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act is the amount of money determined by state law to be the minimum amount that a municipality must raise in order to receive the full amount of state dollars."   [PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §5 (AMD).]
B. For a school administrative district, a community school district or a regional school unit, an article in substantially the following form must be used when the school administrative district, community school district or regional school unit is considering the appropriation of an amount up to its required contribution to the total cost of education as described in section 15688.
(1) "Article ....: To see what sum the district will appropriate for the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act and to see what sum the district will raise and assess as each municipality's contribution to the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act in accordance with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20‑A, section 15688 (Recommend amount set forth below):
Total Appropriated (by municipality)
Total raised (district assessments by municipality):
Town A ($amount)
Town A ($amount)
Town B ($amount)
Town B ($amount)
Town C ($amount)
Town C ($amount)
School District
School District
Total Appropriated
Total Raised
($sum of above)
($sum of above)"
(2) The following statement must accompany the article in subparagraph (1). "Explanation: The school administrative unit's contribution to the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act is the amount of money determined by state law to be the minimum amount that the district must raise and assess in order to receive the full amount of state dollars."
[PL 2007, c. 240, Pt. XXXX, §31 (AMD).]
C. The state share of the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 as described in section 15688, excluding state-funded debt service for each school administrative unit, is limited to the same proportion as the local school administrative unit raises of its required contribution to the total cost of education as described in section 15688, excluding state-funded debt service costs.   [PL 2015, c. 389, Pt. C, §9 (AMD).]
D. [PL 2013, c. 171, §1 (RPR); MRSA T. 20-A §15690, 1, ¶D (RP).]
[PL 2015, c. 389, Pt. C, §9 (AMD).]
2.  Non-state-funded debt service.
For a school administrative unit's indebtedness previously approved by its legislative body for non-state-funded major capital school construction projects or non-state-funded portions of major capital school construction projects, the legislative body of each school administrative unit may vote to raise and appropriate an amount up to the municipality's or district's annual payments for non-state-funded debt service.
A. An article in substantially the following form must be used when a school administrative unit is considering the appropriation for debt service allocation for non-state-funded school construction projects or non-state-funded portions of school construction projects.
(1) "Article ....: To see what sum the (municipality or district) will raise and appropriate for the annual payments on debt service previously approved by the legislative body for non-state-funded school construction projects or non-state-funded portions of school construction projects in addition to the funds appropriated as the local share of the school administrative unit's contribution to the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12. (Recommend $......)"
(2) The following statement must accompany the article in subparagraph (1). "Explanation: Non-state-funded debt service is the amount of money needed for the annual payments on the (municipality's or district's) long-term debt for major capital school construction projects that are not approved for state subsidy. The bonding of this long-term debt was previously approved by the voters or other legislative body."   [PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. E, §26 (AMD).]
[PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. E, §26 (AMD).]
3.  Additional local appropriation.
A school administrative unit may raise and expend funds for educational purposes in addition to the funds under subsections 1 and 2.
A. If the amount of the additional funds does not result in the unit's exceeding its maximum state and local spending target established pursuant to section 15671‑A, subsection 4, an article in substantially the following form must be used when a school administrative unit is considering the appropriation of additional local funds:
(1) "Article ....: To see what sum the (municipality or district) will raise and to appropriate the sum of (Recommend $.....) in additional local funds for school purposes under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20‑A, section 15690. (Recommend $......)"
(2) The following statement must accompany the article in subparagraph (1). "Explanation: The additional local funds are those locally raised funds over and above the school administrative unit's local contribution to the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act and local amounts raised for the annual payment on non-state-funded debt service that will help achieve the (municipality's or district's) budget for educational programs."   [PL 2005, c. 519, Pt. AAAA, §17 (AMD).]
B. If the amount exceeds the unit's maximum state and local spending target established pursuant to section 15671‑A, subsection 4, an article in substantially the following form must be used when a school administrative unit is considering an appropriation of additional local funds.
(1) "Article ....: Shall (name of municipality or district) raise and appropriate $....... in additional local funds, which exceeds the State's Essential Programs and Services allocation model by $...... as required to fund the budget recommended by the (school committee or board of directors)?"
The (school committee or board of directors) recommends $......... for additional local funds and gives the following reasons for exceeding the State's Essential Programs and Services funding model by $........:
(2) The following statement must accompany the article in subparagraph (1). "Explanation: The additional local funds are those locally raised funds over and above the school administrative unit's local contribution to the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act and local amounts raised for the annual payment on non-state-funded debt service that will help achieve the (municipality's or district's) budget for educational programs."   [PL 2005, c. 519, Pt. AAAA, §18 (AMD).]
[PL 2005, c. 519, Pt. AAAA, §§17, 18 (AMD).]
4.  Total budget article.
A school administrative unit must include a summary article indicating the total annual budget for funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 in the school administrative unit. The amount recommended must be the gross budget of the school system. This article does not provide money unless the other articles are approved.
A. "Article ....: To see what sum the (municipality or district) will authorize the school committee to expend for the fiscal year beginning (July 1, ....) and ending (June 30, ....) from the school administrative unit's contribution to the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 as described in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act, non-state-funded school construction projects, additional local funds for school purposes under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20‑A, section 15690, unexpended balances, tuition receipts, state subsidy and other receipts for the support of schools. (Recommend $......)"   [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
[PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
5.  Vote.
Actions taken pursuant to subsections 1 to 4 must be taken by a recorded vote.
[PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
6.  Administrative costs for units with no pupils.
If a school administrative unit is required to pay administrative costs and has no allocation of state or local funds, that unit may raise and expend funds for administrative costs.
[PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2005, c. 2, §D62 (NEW). PL 2005, c. 2, §§D72,74 (AFF). PL 2005, c. 12, §§WW5-7 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 12, §WW18 (AFF). PL 2005, c. 519, §§AAAA17,18 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 240, Pt. XXXX, §31 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 539, Pt. C, §15 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 213, Pt. C, §16 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. E, §§25, 26 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 655, Pt. C, §12 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 1, Pt. C, §6 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 171, §1 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 389, Pt. C, §9 (AMD).