Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §405, sub-§3, ¶U, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 395, Pt. J, §4 and amended by PL 2003, c. 545, §5, is further amended to read:

U. Review the organization of school administrative units statewide to identify current cooperative agreements between school administrative units. Cooperative agreements may include, but are not limited to: purchasing or contract agreements; administrative functions; shared staff and staff training; and technology initiatives. Based on the review, and in consultation with the department, the state board may require that school administrative units develop and carry out a plan for a cooperative agreement with one or more other school administrative units. "Cooperative agreement" may include agreements between school administrative units and career and technical education regions and career and technical education centers; and

Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §405, sub-§3, ¶V, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 395, Pt. J, §4, is amended to read:

V. Study school consolidation statewide, develop a school consolidation plan that includes criteria for evaluating opportunities for consolidation and, if desirable, develop a time line for implementation.; and

Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §405, sub-§3, ¶W is enacted to read:

W.__Mediate a dispute between school administrative units pursuant to section 5203, subsection 2 and section 5204, subsection 2 when a disagreement arises over a student's attending school in a school administrative unit other than the one in which the student resides.__This situation applies only when the school that the student wishes to attend is closer to the student's residence than the school in the school administrative unit in which the student resides.

SUMMARY

This bill authorizes the State Board of Education to mediate a dispute between school administrative units over an attendance disagreement when a student wishes to attend a school that is close geographically but outside the school administrative unit in which the student lives.