[Local-Maine-Schools] (...and from the horse's mouth): FWD from DoE

[Brian Hubbell]

From: Connerty-Marin, David
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 3:55 PM
To: DOE
Subject: Just passed

The school administrative reorganization proposal just passed
unanimously in the Appropriations Committee.  It now moves to the full
House and Senate.  Floor debate in the House likely on Monday or
Tuesday.  Stay tuned.

Read the language of the proposed legislation at:
http://www.maine.gov/education/supportingschools/draftleg.html
View a summary of the legislation prepared by the Senate President's
Office at: http://www.maine.gov/education/supportingschools/draftleg.html

Following the Appropriations Committee's vote on the entire budget
document, including the school administrative reorganization piece of
it, the budget will need to be printed (which takes several days) and
then will go to the House floor for debate and vote, followed by the
Senate.  Current expectations are that the House will begin floor
debate on Monday, June 4.

How would this legislation affect the suggested model for reorganization?

The suggested model for reorganizing school units, which was presented
by Commissioner Susan Gendron on May 21, was developed based on the
April 11 proposal from the Appropriations subcommittee on education.
It was developed at the request of legislative leadership and
envisioned to be a tool for legislators and others to better
understand how the subcommittee's plan might play out.  It is not a
new plan.

The model was based on the criteria at the time, which was up to 80
school units, with 2,500 students in each, with exceptions for unique
geographic and other situations.  Those criteria are similar, but not
identical, to the criteria in the current legislation.  Again, the
model was intended as a tool and will continue to serve as a starting
point for communities as they develop a proposal for reorganizing with
other communities, should the legislation pass.

View the Summary of the Model
<http://www.maine.gov/education/supportingschools/model.html>


What happened to "Report A" and "Report B"?
"Report A" and "Report B" were presented to the Legislature's
Education Committee on Monday, May 21.  Sen. Elizabeth Mitchell
presented to the committee the results of the past few weeks'
discussions by a bipartisan working group convened by legislative
leadership – including representatives of the Appropriations and
Education committees, rural legislators and others – regarding revised
reorganization legislation.  Their discussions were subsequent to the
Appropriations subcommittee draft legislation which was presented
April 11. (Report A)

Rep. Tom Saviello presented a report from the rural caucus of
legislators which is largely similar, but differs in several areas,
including the timeline and the number of districts. (Report B)

These two reports were not intended as competing plans.  Elements of
each were incorporated by the Appropriations Committee into the plan
approved on Friday.

You might want to contact Roger Fenn in the Senate President's Office,
287-1558, or Timothy Feeley in the House Speaker's Office, 287-1306,
regarding the legislative proposals.