Amend the bill by inserting after section 7 the following:
‘Sec. 8. Formation of regional school unit by School Union 60 and School Administrative District No. 12. Notwithstanding the minimum regional school unit size requirements of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 1461, subsection 3, paragraph B, School Union 60 and School Administrative District No. 12 are authorized to submit a reorganization plan for consolidation into a regional school unit to the Commissioner of Education. The commissioner may not disapprove the plan on the basis of the size of the proposed school unit.’
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
Summary
This amendment provides an exception to the minimum regional school unit size requirements for School Union 60 and School Administrative District No. 12 to allow them to submit a plan for reorganization as a regional school unit due to their geographic isolation and the low population density of northern Piscataquis and Somerset counties. The Commissioner of Education may not disapprove the plan solely because it fails to meet the minimum size requirements.