130th MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 1318		LR 787(02)
	An Act To Increase High School Graduation Rates for Students Experiencing Education Disruption
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
	Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
State Mandate - Exempted
			FY 2021-22	FY 2022-23	Projections  FY 2023-24	Projections  FY 2024-25
Net Cost (Savings)
	General Fund		$126,208	$197,572	$203,538	$209,695
Appropriations/Allocations
	General Fund		$126,208	$197,572	$203,538	$209,695
State Mandates
	Required Activity				Unit Affected	Local Cost
	Requires a responsible school to provide every new student experiencing education disruption with an adult staff or volunteer mentor to facilitate the student's transition to the new school.				School	Moderate statewide
	Adds migrant students and immigrant students to the number of student to which a responsible school must:				School	Moderate statewide
	1)  provide staff assistance to ensure the complete transfer of all records, grades, full and partial credits and all academic material;
	2) develop or update a school work recognition plan within 10 days of the school becoming aware of the student experiencing education disruption;
	3) make individual educational materials such as curricula and assignments available within 5 days of the school becoming aware that the student is experiencing a period of absence due to education disruption; and
	4) provide support for and assist any student who has experienced education disruption in the completion and submission of an application for a Department of Education diploma, if requested to do so.
	Pursuant to the Mandate Preamble, the two-thirds vote of all members elected to each House exempts the State from the constitutional requirement to fund 90% of the additional costs.
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	The Department of Education has indicated that it will require one Regional Education Representative position and one Office Specialist I position to process the anticipated increase in the number of applications for a Department of Education diploma as a result of this legislation.  This bill includes General Fund appropriations totaling $126,208 in fiscal year 2021-22 and $197,572 in fiscal year 2022-23 to fund the positions.  Of these amounts, the bill includes $121,202 and $192,566 in fiscal years 2021-22 and 2022-23, respectively, to the School and Student Supports program for the positions and related All Other costs and $5,006 per year beginning in fiscal year 2021-22 to the School Finance and Operations program for the technology and software costs for the new positions.
	To the extent that volunteer mentors are available to facilitate the transition of a new student that is experiencing education disruption to the new school, the fiscal impact to the responsible school may be mitigated.  The impact to individual school administrative units will depend on the number of students experiencing education disruption due to migrancy or immigration attending the school.