Sec. 16. Establishment of account. SLD #1 may establish a separate account for payment of obligations of the district. The superintendent shall serve as the treasurer and shall meet all requirements as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20- A, section 1251, subsection 5.

Sec. 17. Efficiency studies. The Department of Education, SLD #1 and other institutions as agreed upon by the department and the board shall conduct studies on the efficacy of SLD #1 in providing cost-effective educational services and other efficiency agreements engaged in pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 8.

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this Act takes effect when approved.

SUMMARY

This bill establishes School Leadership District #1, comprising the municipalities of East Millinocket, Medway and Millinocket. The new district is a 5-year pilot project of school restructuring as a means of more effectively meeting the learning needs and improving the academic performance of all students as sanctioned by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 8. This district will be governed by a board consisting of the school boards currently in East Millinocket, Medway and Millinocket. The board of SLD #1 is established and is authorized to hire a superintendent, establish a budget and curriculum and enter into lending and leasing agreements. The costs of employment of the superintendent are divided equally among the participating municipalities; all other costs are apportioned among the participating municipalities based on property values, population and student enrollment.