[Local-Maine-Schools] Friday's 1932 issues (Dick Gould)

[Dick Atlee]

Another version of Brian's 1932 issues summary, this one from analyst 
Phillip McCarthy, through Dick Gould.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Fw: Ld 1932
Date: 	Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:05:29 -0500
From: 	RICHARD GOULD <perf3170rag at verizon.net>

The item below contains the points voted on by the ed com. at their
Friday Worksession.  Phil McCarthy is the analyst.
Dick

----- Original Message -----
From: Phillip.McCarthy at legislature.maine.gov>
To: RICHARD GOULD
Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2008 12:43 AM
Subject: RE: Ld 1932

EDU Cmte WS 1-11-08

Motion -- Reconsideration:  Vote = 11-0 (Absent:  Muse, McFadden)

Motion -- OTP-AM:  Vote = 11-1 (Absent:  Muse, McFadden)

MAJORITY REPORT:

1.  Reinstate cost-center summary budget format for 2008-09 school
budgets (as current law provides).

2.  Maintain the roles of the municipal officers and the school
committee for municipal schools units whose municipal charter gives
authority to approve the school budget to the municipal officers; and
establishes the requirements for calling a budget meeting and the
procedures for the budget meeting.

3.  Delay the budget validation referendum procedures until the
formation of 2009-10 school budgets, but provides permissive language to
allow school units to ?opt in? to use of the budget validation
referendum procedures for the formation of 2008-09 school budgets.

4.  Clarify the relationship between the regional school unit board and
the local school that seeks to raise additional funds for an elementary
school or a secondary school that is owned or managed by the member
municipality.  Also removes two references to ?elementary? school in
the school closure provisions to include secondary schools to these
requirements.

5.  Allows DOE Commissioner to provide a waiver for "donut hole" school
units with no reasonable reorganization partners and having less than
1,200 students; and provides that waiver must be based on certain
criteria (DOE will provide language on criteria).

6.  Clarifies the assumption of pre-existing debt that is transferred to
the new RSU after July 1, 2008; change date since most RSUs will not
organize until July 1, 2009 (Spencer will provide language for review).

7.  Provides legal authority for election of RSU board members, for RSU
board to receive and spend state and local funds, and for expenditure of
funds to hire superintendent, etc. (see #6 from P. Mills).

MINORITY REPORT:

1.  Provides regional planning committees with the option of forming a
regional school unit model or the Union School Association model (see
Rep. Edgecomb "version 2" summary of minority report).

2.  Items #1-7 included in "majority report" amendment (above)