127th MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 1394		LR 2011(02)
	An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Commission To Strengthen the Adequacy and Equity of Certain Cost Components of the School Funding Formula
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
	Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Minor cost increase - General Fund
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	This legislation requires the Education Research Institute (ERI), along with the Department of Education, to conduct further research and analysis of extended school day programs and the availability of federal grant funds under Title I and other funding for educational equity for economically disadvantaged students.
	The Department of Education's General Purpose Aid for Local Schools program already has funding of $250,000 in both fiscal years 2015-16 and 2016-17 to support the work of the ERI, which was established in Public Law 1995, c. 395, Part J  to collect and analyze education information and perform targeted education research for the Legislature.  This fiscal note assumes that funding for the ERI in fiscal year 2016-17 included in the biennial budget will be sufficient to support the cost of the two research projects in this bill and that both  will be included in the 2016-2017 workplan approved by the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs and, therefore, no General Fund appropriation is required.  If the projects are not included in the 2016-2017 workplan and no General Fund appropriations are made to support the costs of the research projects, the ERI may not be able to conduct the required research and analysis.
	This legislation allows, but does not require, the Commissioner of Education to provide grants and "expend and disburse funds" for summer school programs, collaborative time for professional development, economically disadvantaged students and professional development for school and school administrative unit leaders.  Since no funding is included in the bill and the language is permissive, there is no fiscal impact associated with these parts of the bill other than the cost of rulemaking, which can be absorbed within the department's existing budgeted resources.
	Additional costs to the Department of Education to collaborate with the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs during the First Regular Session of the 128th Legislature to develop best practice guidelines for collaborative time for professional development can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources.