[Local-Maine-Schools] Fwd: Funding LDs scheduled for Wed. 5.4.11

Wed May 4 17:05:28 UTC 2011

[slightly reformatted, with response comments added; with apologies: I 
thought I'd sent this yesterday -- DA]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Funding LDs scheduled for Wed. 5.4.11
Date: 	Tue, 3 May 2011 10:28:12 -0400
From: 	ricchard gould <perf3170rag at myfairpoint.net>

Good Morning

Here are the LDs for public  hearing on This Wed.  These are extremely
important bills that will have an impact on

Almost all school districts in the State.  Please let me know what you
think by tonight

I will up-date you as soon as I can on the public hears and the work
sessions.

If you want to see copies of these bills

1. go to http://maine.gov
2. click on the "legislature"
3. click on the "house home"
4. then onto "documents & lists"
5. finally click on "directory of bills."

Dick [Gould]
MSSC

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[DA: here are additional comments, from responses to Dick Gould's mailing:]
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LD 93  Concept Draft  will have two elements:
It will change the factor in the EPS funding formula for economically 
disadvantaged students from .15 to .25 and sets the maximum amount of 
the EPS calculated amount a local district would pay as 82.5 %.
Pete [Johnson]
------------
I LIKE THE FIRST PART. .. the local district cost cap would be 
interesting. .. wonder what would happen if a town hit that cap and 
refused to pay above it, but costs were above. .. who would pick up that 
tab?  Would a school system be forced to cut programs?
[Heather Perry]
-----------
Hi Pete,
I was wondering where the legislature stands on the MSMA’s suggestion 
regarding an independent review of the EPS model in general.  I don’t 
think that the legislature will be able to predict how these individual 
bills may impact districts.  From where I sit, it appears that each of 
these bills could have unforeseen consequences on individual districts 
and this is a concern to me.
I think it is time for a review of the whole formula, then maybe the 
funding issues that you  discuss tomorrow would be mute!  Anyway, I hope 
that you are having another fun day in Augusta!  Thanks for all you 
do…Beth {Lorigan[

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Ed committee LDS for Wednesday @ 1:00pm

LD 1274---An Act To Restore Equity in Education Funding

SUMMARY:  This bill amends several provisions of the Essential Programs
and Services Funding Act to more equitably allocate state funds that are
appropriated for essential programs and services. The bill makes the
following changes.

1. It amends the definition of "property fiscal capacity" in order to
base the local school administrative unit's fiscal capacity on the most
recent certified state valuation or the average of the certified state
valuation for the 3 years prior to the most recently certified state
valuation, whichever is lower. This change provides a more accurate
determination of a school administrative unit's fiscal capacity while
protecting those school administrative units that are experiencing
increasing property valuation.

2. It amends the staffing ratios established to determine the
calculation of salary and benefit costs for school-level staff positions
by providing a 10% reduction in the staffing ratios for school
administrative units with a total school population of less than 1,200
students. This change recognizes that school administrative units with
fewer than 1,200 students still have to provide certain levels of
instruction, support and administrative positions that do not conform to
the existing staffing ratios, which are based on enrollment assumptions
that do not apply to approved smaller school administrative units.

3. It amends the EPS per-pupil rate calculated by the Commissioner of
Education for each school administrative unit by removing the reduction
of federal Title I funds from the calculation for teacher salaries and
benefit costs. This change reflects the fact that federal Title I
funding is one of several sources of revenue that are allocated to
school administrative units and expended to support essential programs
and services.

4. It amends the regional adjustment in the total operating allocation
for school administrative units based on the regional differences in
teacher salary costs for the labor market areas in which school
administrative units are located by removing the benefits costs for
teachers and other school-level staff from the calculation of salary
costs. This change addresses the inequitable treatment of school
administrative units with lower teacher salary costs relative to
statewide averages due to local economic circumstances.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
LD 93---An Act To Improve Essential Programs and Services Funding for
Education

CONCEPT DRAFT SUMMARY:   This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint
Rule 208.This bill proposes to amend the essential programs and services
funding and distribution formula and process to improve the equity and
adequacy of general purpose aid to education.

LD 347--- Resolve, Directing the Commissioner of Education To Convene a
Task Force To Develop a Proposal for a More Equitable Distribution of
Kindergarten to Grade 12 State Education Funding

Summary:  Bill does exactly what the title states.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
LD 958--- Resolve, To Direct the Department of Education To Review the
Essential Programs and Services Model

SUMMARY:  This resolve directs the Department of Education to have an
independent agency not previously involved with the essential programs
and services funding formula review the essential programs and services
model to analyze the impact of its implementation on children from
economically disadvantaged areas, the funding shifts experienced by
small rural schools and the result of the regional salary adjustment
variable and the economically disadvantaged student variable on the
equity of the distribution of state aid to municipalities for education
and to provide a report to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and
Cultural Affairs by December 1, 2011. The joint standing committee is
authorized to submit a bill relating to the report to the Second Regular
Session of the 125th Legislature.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
LD 817--- An Act To Stabilize Short-term Funding of Public Kindergarten
to Grade 12 Education

  (EMERGENCY)

SUMMARY:  This bill amends the annual targets for the state share
percentage of the statewide adjusted total cost of the components of
essential programs and services.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
LD 886--- SUMMARY:  This bill amends the annual targets for the state
share percentage of the statewide adjusted total cost of the components
of essential programs and services.

SUMMARY:  This bill removes all references pertaining to the allocation
of federal resources from the statutory provisions of the Essential
Programs and Services Funding Act.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
LD 1017--- An Act To Improve the Essential Programs and Services Funding
Model by Providing for a Cost of Housing Adjustment

SUMMARY:  This bill requires that, beginning in fiscal year 2013-14, the
regional adjustment to the salary and benefits costs of teachers and
other school personnel be based on the cost of housing in the counties
in the State. The bill also directs the Commissioner of Education, in
conjunction with the Maine Education Policy Research Institute, to
prepare a transition plan that addresses the development of the regional
adjustment that is based on a cost of housing factor.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
LD 1051--- An Act To Calculate Essential Programs and Services Funding
on an Equal Labor Market

SUMMARY:  This bill amends the essential programs and services laws so
that salary and benefit costs for school level teaching and nonteaching
staff are treated equally throughout the State.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
LD 598--- An Act To Calculate Essential Programs and Services Funding on
an Equal Labor Market

SUMMARY:  This bill provides an adjustment for a school administrative
unit that is a minimum subsidy receiver if its percentage of
economically disadvantaged students is greater than the state average

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
LD 1267--- An Act To Amend the School Transportation Formula To
Recognize One-way Bus Trips

SUMMARY:  This bill amends the formula for calculating school
transportation costs to require the inclusion of all mileage accumulated
for so called "one-way trips," in which a school bus is required to
travel the same road in both directions due to geographical constraints
to drop off or pick up a student.