In its second regular session the 124th Maine Legislature enacted the following legislation:

LD 570: "An Act to Improve the Laws Governing the Consolidation of School Administrative Units" (Emergency).

    The Education Committee, led by Senator Alfond and Representative Pat Sutherland (D-Chapman), voted unanimously to provide more flexibility for non-conforming school districts to comply with the school consolidation law. The well-thought-out proposal passed through the legislative process without opposition.
    This bill allows districts that are smaller than the 1,200 student minimum currently in the law to form Regional School Units (RSU) or Alternative Organizational Structures (AOS) if their plan is approved by the Commissioner of Education and local voters.
    The bill will establish collective bargaining procedures for the AOS's central office if they become an employer of individuals in a collective bargaining unit who have previously been employed by a school administrative unit.

LD 1658: "An Act to Increase Maine's High School Graduation Rates."

    This bill sets a goal of achieving a 90% graduation rate by the end of the 2015-16 school year.  It requires the Department of Education to provide technical assistance to schools that have not attained an 80% graduation rate by the end of the 2012-13. It then requires these schools to develop and submit to the Department a corrective action plan.

LD 1776: "An Act to Protect Retirement Income" (Emergency)

    The bill allows teachers and participating local district (PLD) employees to purchase time if they were subject to days off without pay (furlough days) during school years 2009-10 and 2010-11. It assists employees who are close to retirement and wish to buy back time to preserve their average final compensation for retirement purposes.

LD 1799: "An Act to Encourage the Use of Models in the Collection and Use of Student Achievement"

    The Senate amended version initiated by the MEA allows school districts to select one or more of the evaluation models developed by the Department of Education and approved by the stakeholders group comprising members from the MEA, Maine Principals' Association, Maine School Boards Association, Maine School Superintendents Association and the Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities. If school districts want to include student assessments as part of teacher evaluation, they must use one of the six models developed and approved by the stakeholders group.

LD 1801: "An Act to Promote the Establishment of Innovative Schools" (Emergency)

    This bill allows a school district to establish and operate an innovative, autonomous public school. The innovative school must permit any resident student to enroll; it must demonstrate a system of accountability for student achievement that exceeds the state's accountability standards and assessment system; and the innovative school may exceed or differ from, but may not be in conflict with, the state statutes and regulatory requirements for staff selection, school calendar, instruction design and a method for assessing professional development.

LD 1804: "An Act Concerning Certain MaineCare Rules Regarding Services Provided through the Child Development Services System and School Administrative Units" (Emergency)

    The amended bill establishes parameters for the adoption or amendment of the MaineCare program rules regarding reimbursement payments for eligible services provided by the CDS system and school administrative units. The Education Committee established strict criteria and review for any new Medicaid rules changes impacting student services. The Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of Health and Human Services are required to submit interim reports and then a final report to both the Education Committee and the Health and Human Services Committee.

LD 1671: Supplemental Budget

    The initial Governor's Supplemental Budget included significant cuts in K-12 General Purpose Aid (GPA) of $38 million for 2009-10 and $35 million for 2010-11. The University of Maine System reduction was $6 million for each year of the biennium, and the Community College System cuts were $1.7 million for each year.
    As a result of the re-projection of revenues and new Federal Medicare money, the Governor and the Legislature restored all but $10 million of the original $35 million reduction for school year 2010-11, with full restoration for the University of Maine System ($6 million) and the Community College System ($1.7 million).
    In the original budget, the stipend for National Board Certification was eliminated for both years of the biennium 2009-10 and 2010-11. In the change package and the enacted budget, the legislature agreed to add back the stipend for school year 2010-11. The stipend will be prorated, since the money appropriated was not increased, while the number of new board-certified teachers has increased.
    After a last minute compromise on a bond package, the legislature adjourned on Monday, April 12th.