| | 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. |
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| §2419.__Revenue provisions |
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| | 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| | 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. |
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| | 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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