[Local-Maine-Schools] Education Committee: 2/08 schedule and notes from 2/07

[Brian Hubbell]

JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS
Friday, February 9, 2007

Work Session
9:00 a.m.- School District Regionalization Bills (LD 499, Part MM
(Governor's Budget bill); LR 1386, Part C (Sen. Edmonds); LR 1326
(Sen. Mitchell); LD 370 (Sen. Turner); LR 1148 (Rep. Silsby); LR 1415
(Sen. Mills); LR 1619 (Sen. Rotundo))

All Meetings will be held in Cross State Office Building, Room 202,
unless otherwise noted.

Audio link:
http://www.maine.gov/legis/audio/education_cmte.html

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I was able to follow the committee for only a brief time yesterday.
The session began with a presentation from the people who administer
the Maine bond bank explaining the importance of continuous
accountability for all the various kinds of existing school debt
during any transformation of school organization -- not just the
state-approved debt.  The committee was cautioned on the consequences
to state credit rating if school units that hold debt are dissolved
and replaced by other units that don't legally assume the same debt.

The committee was also presented with some maps (which of course I
couldn't see) that showed the different types of school administrative
structures and their student numbers across the state.  It was
explained to them that, in many cases, the different structures had
resulted from very particular local financial consideration, often
having to do with disparities in valuation vs. population.  The most
vivid example being, because of the tax consequences, almost every
town that had a paper mill successfully resisted joining neighboring
towns to form a school district and now are commonly surrounded by
towns that tuition their students.

This was leading into what promised to be a very interesting
discussion of the EPS funding model and its consequences.  But I had
to get back to work.  Perhaps some of you heard more and can fill us
all in.

Keep thinking there'll be real news reports of these committee work
sessions, but so far I've found none.

--Brian