131st MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 2286		LR 3115(02)
	Resolve, Directing the Maine Education Policy Research Institute to Review Certain Components of General Purpose Aid for Local Schools and the Essential Programs and Services Funding Formula
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Engrossed with: No Amendments
	Committee: Not Referred
Fiscal Note
Review to be completed within budgeted resources
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	This legislation requires the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) to conduct a review of certain components of general purpose aid and the essential programs and services (EPS) funding formula in conjunction with the Department of Education.  Maine Revised Statutes Annotated, Title 20-A, section 10 established the Education Research Institute to collect and analyze education information and perform targeted education research for the Legislature.  The Legislature contracts with the University of Maine System to maintain the institute and ongoing General Fund appropriations of $250,000 per year are included in the Learning Systems Team program account within the Department of Education to support the work of the institute.  The Department of Education also contracts with MEPRI for updating of the essential programs and services components and ongoing funding of $250,000 per year is included in the annual appropriation for the General Purpose Aid for Local Schools (GPA) program. This fiscal note assumes that the work required in this bill to be performed by MEPRI will be paid for with the funding included in the Learning Systems Team or GPA budget for fiscal year 2024-25 and enacted in Public Law 2023, chapter 17 and that the cost of the review will not exceed the $500,000 already appropriated for fiscal year 2024-25.  Given these assumptions, no General Fund appropriations for the cost to MEPRI to conduct the required review are included in this bill.
	Additional costs to the Department of Education to work in conjunction with MEPRI on the review can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources.