LD 1391
pg. 11
Page 10 of 15 An Act To Approve Public Charter Schools in Maine Page 12 of 15
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LR 960
Item 1

 
5.__Retirement.__A charter school may establish a retirement
plan or plans for employees.__Teachers enrolled in the Maine
State Retirement System who take leave to teach in a charter
school may continue their participation in the Maine State
Retirement System while on such leave.__If a charter school
chooses to set up a plan with the Maine State Retirement
System, the charter school may establish a participating local
district plan with the Maine State Retirement System.

 
§2419.__Revenue provisions

 
1.__Operating funds.__All state and local operating funds
follow each child to the charter school the child attends.__
For each charter school student, the school administrative
unit in which the student resides must forward the per-pupil
allocation to the charter school attended by the student as
follows.

 
A.__The per-pupil allocation amounts must be the same
average amounts as for students attending noncharter
public schools used in estimating state payments to the
noncharter public schools for the current fiscal year.

 
B.__For each fiscal year, which runs from July 1st to June
30th, allocations must be made in 4 quarterly payments on
September 1st, December 1st, March 1st and June 1st.

 
C.__The September payment must be based on the number of
students enrolled or anticipated to be enrolled in the
charter school at the opening of school for that school
year.

 
D.__If the number of students calculated under paragraph C
is higher or lower than the number of students in the
following February of the school year, adjustments are to
be made in the March payment, with 50% of the annual per
pupil allocation to be added for additional students or
subtracted if the total number of students is lower.

 
2.__Program funds.__Public charter schools are entitled to
receive state program funds on a per-pupil basis, on the same
schedule as listed in subsection 1, for transportation,
vocational education and special education.__Public charter
schools may contract or cooperate with district public schools
for such services.

 
3.__Special education.__Unusually high special education
needs for charter school students should be negotiated between
the charter school and the district school of residence, as is
the current practice among noncharter public schools.__Charter
schools may apply to a state hardship fund for high special
education expenses on the same basis as district schools.


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