An Act Relating to the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District

Sec. 1. P&SL 1979, c. 45, §6, 7th ¶,  as repealed and replaced by P&SL 1999, c. 83, §1, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

The total expenses of the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District for kindergarten to grade 12, including operational, program, maintenance, debt retirement and interest costs, must be apportioned between the participating Town of Ogunquit and Town of Wells according to the following formula.

1. For fiscal year 2007-08 and subsequent fiscal years, 1/3 of the total must be assessed according to state valuation of the 2 towns comprising the district and 2/3 of the total must be assessed in the same proportion as the average number of resident pupils of each town: for the year preceding the year to which the budget applies bears to the total number of resident pupils for both towns as counted under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, sections 5104-A and 6004 who are educated at public expense in kindergarten to grade 12 on April 1st and October 1st of the year preceding the year to which the budget applies, bears to the total number of resident pupils for both towns.

summary

This bill changes the formula for computing each town's assessment for the expenses of the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District. The current formula bases 66.7% of the assessments on state valuation and 33.3% on the number of resident pupils in each town. The formula is changed so that the assessments are based on 67% of the number of resident pupils and 33% on the assessment of state valuation.

This bill removes language that permits the towns to agree to change the formula by separate majority vote in each town and that requires a withdrawal from the community school district to be authorized by special act of the Legislature.