Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §5815 is enacted to read:

§5815.__Student placed by state agency in foster home

A student who is placed by a state agency in a foster home as defined in section 1, subsection 24-A, paragraph B is considered a resident of the school administrative unit where the foster home is located.__The commissioner shall reimburse the school administrative unit for the unit's actual local per pupil education expenditure and approved transportation costs for each student who is placed by a state agency in a foster home in that school administrative unit.

Educational costs authorized by this section for a student who is placed by a state agency in a foster home must be reimbursed by the department in the year of allocation at 100% of actual costs.__The Department of Human Services shall transfer funds to the department to reimburse a__school administrative unit that provides a public education for each student who is placed by a state agency in a foster home in the State.__Expenditure of those funds is considered expenditure of local funds in computing the school administrative unit's educational program costs under chapter 606.

SUMMARY

This bill requires that each school administrative unit in the State must provide funds for the education of each student who is placed by a state agency in a foster home in that school unit. Under this bill, the Commissioner of Education shall provide 100% reimbursement in the year of allocation to a school unit for the actual local per pupil education expenditure and approved transportation costs for each student who is placed by a state agency in a foster home in that school unit. The Department of Human Services shall transfer funds to the Department of Education to reimburse school units that provide a public education for each student who is placed by a state agency in a foster home in the State.