PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
Amend the amendment in Part XXXX in section 35 by striking out all of subsection 2 and inserting the following:
‘2. Notice of intent. By August 31, 2007, each school administrative unit shall file with the Commissioner of Education:
A. A notice of intent to engage in planning and negotiations with other school administrative units for the purpose of developing a reorganization plan to form a regional school unit under this Part and Title 20-A, chapter 103-A; or
B. A notice of intent to submit an alternative plan that meets the requirements of subsection 6, paragraph F. An alternative plan may be submitted only by a unit that is:
(1) An offshore island;
(2) A school operated by a tribal school committee pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30, section 6214;
(3) A school administrative unit that serves more than 2,500 students, or 1,200 students where circumstances justify an exception to the requirement of 2,500 students under subsection 6, paragraph A, where expansion of the unit would be inconsistent with the policies set forth in Title 20-A, section 1451; or
(4) A school administrative unit that is designated as an efficient, high-performing district. For purposes of this subparagraph, a school administrative unit is designated an "efficient, high-performing district" if:
(a) It contains at least 3 schools identified as "higher performing" in the May 2007 Maine Education Policy Research Institute report "The Identification of Higher and Lower Performing Maine Schools"; and
(b) Its reported 2005-2006 per-pupil expenditures for system administration represent less than 4% of its total per-pupil expenditures.
An efficient, high-performing district that files an alternative plan pursuant to this paragraph is not required to include projected expenditures for fiscal year 2008-09 that are 5% less than the projected expenditures in fiscal year 2007-08 as specified in subsection 6, paragraph F, subparagraph (1).
 
The Commissioner of Education shall respond to each notice of intent by September 15, 2007, indicating whether the intended action complies with the requirements of this Part. ’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment includes efficient, high-performing districts in the list of school administrative units authorized to submit a notice of intent to submit an alternative plan rather than a notice of intent to engage in negotiations to develop a reorganization plan, and specifies that an efficient, high-performing district that files an alternative plan is not required to include certain projected expenditures for fiscal year 2008-09 that are 5% less than certain projected expenditures in fiscal year 2007-08.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)