Maine Revised Statutes
Chapter 606-B: ESSENTIAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
20-A §15693. School budget; budget formats

§15693. School budget; budget formats
1.  Content.  A school administrative unit shall include in its school budget document:  
A. The school administrative unit's total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12, its non-state-funded debt service, if any, and any additional expenditures authorized by law;   [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
B. A summary of anticipated revenues and estimated school expenditures for the fiscal year; and   [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
C. The following statement, including the estimated dollar amount of state retirement payments: "This budget does not include the estimated amount of $....... in employer share of teacher retirement costs that is paid directly by the State."   [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
[PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
2.  Budget deadlines.  The following time limitations apply to adoption of a school budget under this section.  
A. At least 7 days before the initial meeting of the legislative body responsible for adopting a budget, the school administrative unit shall provide a detailed budget document to that legislative body and to any person who requests one and resides within the geographic area served by the school administrative unit.   [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
B. Notwithstanding a provision of law or charter to the contrary, school administrative units may adopt an annual budget prior to June 30th. The school budgets for career and technical education regions must be adopted on or before August 1st.   [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
C. Notwithstanding any municipal charter provision, ordinance or other law to the contrary, if the level of state subsidy for the next school year is not finalized in accordance with this chapter before June 1st, the school board may delay a school budget meeting otherwise required to be held before July 1st to a date after July 1st. If a school board elects to delay a school budget meeting under this paragraph, the meeting must be held and the budget approved within 30 days of the date the commissioner notifies the school board of the amount allocated to the school administrative unit under section 15689‑B. When a school budget meeting is delayed under this paragraph, the school administrative unit may continue operation of the unit at the same budget levels as were approved for the previous year. Continued operation under the budget for the previous year is limited to the time between July 1st and the date the new budget goes into effect.   [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
[PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
3.  Budget format.  The following provisions apply to a budget format.  
A. Except as provided in subsection 4, the budget format is that prescribed by a majority of the school board until an article prescribing the school budget format is approved by a majority of voters in an election in which the total vote is at least 20% of the number of votes cast in the municipality in the last gubernatorial election, or 200, whichever is less.   [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
B. The format of the school budget may be determined in accordance with section 1485.   [PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. E, §27 (AMD).]
C. It is the intent of the Legislature that a school board shall attempt to obtain public participation in the development of the school budget format.   [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
[PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. E, §27 (AMD).]
4.  Budget format; town or city charter.  In a municipality where the responsibility for final adoption of the school budget is vested by municipal charter in a council, the school budget format may be changed through amendment of the charter under the home rule procedures of Title 30‑A, chapter 111, except that the amendment must be approved by a majority of voters in an election in which the total vote is at least 20% of the number of votes cast in the municipality in the last gubernatorial election.  
[PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
5.  Budget format; town meeting.  When the final budget authority is vested in a town meeting operating under the general enabling procedures of Title 30‑A, the format of the school budget may be determined by the town meeting or under the procedures of Title 30‑A, section 2522 or 2528.  
[PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
6.  Budget format; community school district.  The following provisions apply to the budget format of a community school district.  
A. An article containing the district's proposed budget format must be placed on the next warrant issued or ballot printed if:  
(1) A majority of the district school committee votes to place it on the warrant or ballot; or  
(2) A written petition signed by at least 10% of the number of voters voting in the last gubernatorial election in each municipality within the community school district requests it to be on the warrant or ballot.   [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
B. The article containing the budget format may be voted on by secret ballot at an election conducted in accordance with Title 30‑A, sections 2528 to 2532.   [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
C. The district school committee shall:  
(1) Issue a warrant specifying that the municipal officers of the municipalities within the community school district shall place the budget format article on the secret ballot; and  
(2) Prepare and furnish the required number of ballots for carrying out the election, including absentee ballots.   [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
[PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
7.  Budget format; articles.  The articles prescribed in this chapter must be included in the budget format and be voted on in the adoption of the budget in order to determine state and local cost sharing.  
[PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
8.  Change in budget format.  Any change in the budget format must be voted on at least 90 days prior to the budget year for which that change is to be effective.  
[PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §62 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2005, c. 2, §D62 (NEW). PL 2005, c. 2, §§D72,74 (AFF). PL 2005, c. 12, §WW18 (AFF). PL 2009, c. 571, Pt. E, §27 (AMD).

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