[Local-Maine-Schools] Legislative Update: March 6

[Brian Hubbell]

Subject: Legislative update
Tuesday, March 6
[Summary from Dick Durost, Maine Principals Association]


The Joint Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs has met on an
aggressive schedule since last week. Although state government was shut down
on Friday the committee continued to meet all day Saturday plus Sunday
afternoon. I attended the Saturday morning session before leaving for the
basketball tournament in Bangor and Augusta and also attended the Sunday
session.

The committee spent most of Monday taking "straw votes" on the issues that
they expect to report out to the Appropriations Committee on Thursday.
Please note that the following positions are not binding and may well be
revised as the week moves on.

1.    Planning alliances: Should they be based on the Governor's proposal of
CTE Regions or on a basis of choosing your partners? Committee evenly
split with six in
favor of each approach.

2.    Collaboration and Consolidation: Should they move forward with
collaboration set for FY 08  and consolidation for FY09 or both accelerated
for completion in the summer of 08? 7 votes  for the former, 5 votes for
acceleration.

3.    Minimum number of students in new consolidated districts: 6 voting for
minimum of 2500, 3  voting for 1200, 2 preferring some other number. All
options would hold the possibility for  some exceptions (see item 9 below).

4.    Incentives for consolidation:
      a.   extra points for construction: 11-0 vote in favor
      b.   reduction in minimum local mill rate:  9-2 vote in favor
      c.   money for principal in every school: defeated 11-0 (they see this
$3.5 million proposed by         the governor as one way to help close the
budget gap)
      d.   provide cash as incentives if available:  12-0 in favor

5.    Withhold part of FY08 funding as an incentive for collaboration and
consolidation in the FY09  budget:  no decision yet.

6.    Encourage consolidation (4 in favor), mandate consolidation (1 in
favor), mandate  consolidation talks with local vote to defeat, probably by
a 2/3 vote   (6 in favor).

7.    Set a target of 50 to 80 districts: decided to address this through
other positions

8.    Districts who choose not to participate in the process:
           Collaboration:   sanctions to be determined,probably financial,
12-0 in favor
           Consolidation:   sanctions to be developed by rule making
process, major and substantive

9.    Exceptions:
      a.   Possible for island communities, geographically isolated regions,
indian townships, and        unorganized territories, 11-0 vote in favor
      c.   Status quo for town academies, 10-0 in favor
      d.   Exempt cost effective, high performing schools/districts,
defeated 8-2

10.    Filling the gap of $36.5 million in the education budget:
      a.   Cap special ed money to minimum receivers ($4.5 million), 8-1 in
favor with 3 abstentions
      b.   Delay some of the FY08 money until FY09: no decision
      c.   Make cuts in K-12 through collaboration: tentative approval
      d.   Establish a "BRAC" like commission to identify state government
cuts: no decision

Stay tuned! Work sessions will resume this afternoon.