An Act To Allow the Town of Wells and the Town of Ogunquit To Amend the Terms of Their Cost-sharing Agreement for Their Community School District and To Provide Each Town the Ability To Withdraw from the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District

Sec. 1. P&SL 1979, c. 45, §6, 7th ¶,  as repealed and replaced by P&SL 1999, c. 83, §1, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

The total expenses of the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District for kindergarten to grade 12, including operational, program, maintenance, debt retirement and interest costs, must be apportioned between the participating Town of Ogunquit and the Town of Wells according to the following formula.

1. For fiscal year 2009-10 and for subsequent fiscal years up to and including fiscal year 2011-12, 66.7% of the total must be assessed between the towns in the same proportion as the state valuation of each town, for the year preceding the year to which the budget applies, bears to the total state valuation for both towns and 33.3% of the total must be assessed in the same proportion as the average number of resident pupils of each town, as counted under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 15674 who are educated at public expense in kindergarten to grade 12 on April 1st and October 1st of the year preceding the year to which the budget applies, bears to the total number of resident pupils in both towns.

2. For fiscal year 2012-13, 56.7% of the total must be assessed between the towns in the same proportion as the state valuation of each town, for the year preceding the year to which the budget applies, bears to the total state valuation for both towns and 43.3% of the total must be assessed in the same proportion as the average number of resident pupils of each town, as counted under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 15674 who are educated at public expense in kindergarten to grade 12 on April 1st and October 1st of the year preceding the year to which the budget applies, bears to the total number of resident pupils in both towns.

3. For fiscal year 2013-14, 46.7% of the total must be assessed between the towns in the same proportion as the state valuation of each town, for the year preceding the year to which the budget applies, bears to the total state valuation for both towns and 53.3% of the total must be assessed in the same proportion as the average number of resident pupils of each town, as counted under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20A, section 15674 who are educated at public expense in kindergarten to grade 12 on April 1st and October 1st of the year preceding the year to which the budget applies, bears to the total number of resident pupils in both towns.

4. For fiscal year 2014-15 and for subsequent fiscal years, the total assessed between the 2 towns must be based on the State's essential programs and services model as required by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, chapter 606-B.

5. Both the Town of Wells and the Town of Ogunquit may withdraw from the WellsOgunquit Community School District. The decision for either town to withdraw from the community school district requires a majority vote of the voters in each town. Regardless of when a vote is taken, neither town may withdraw from the community school district before 2015.

summary

This bill amends the terms of the cost-sharing agreement for the Wells-Ogunquit Community School District and allows each town the right to withdraw from the community school district after 2014.