Title 20-A

Beginning July 1, 2020, a regional school leadership academy may be established under a collaborative agreement. [PL 2019, c. 70, §5 (NEW).] 1. Regional school leadership academy mission. The mission of an academy is to enhance the quality of the preservice and in‑service staff t…

A regional school leadership academy shall provide to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters an annual report that includes information regarding the regional school leadership academy, including the name and location of the aca…

1. Nomination; forfeiture. The superintendent shall nominate all teachers, subject to such regulations governing salaries and the qualifications of teachers as the school board makes. Upon the approval of nominations by the school board, the superintendent may employ teachers so …

A school board, after investigation, due notice of hearing and hearing thereon, shall dismiss any teacher, although having the requisite certificate, who proves unfit to teach or whose services the board deems unprofitable to the school; and give to that teacher a certificate of …

For the purposes of this chapter, "principal" means any person certified as a principal in accordance with chapter 501 or 502 who is employed as a supervising principal for more than 50% of the time in any public elementary or secondary school in the State.

1. Employment of principals. The superintendent shall nominate principals for employment, subject to regulations established by the school board governing salaries and qualifications and the requirements of section 1001, subsection 13. If the school board approves the nomination,…

1. Notice. A school board shall provide notice of the renewal or nonrenewal of a principal's employment contract as follows. A. Notwithstanding any contract provision to the contrary and no later than March 1st of the year the contract expires, the school board shall notify a pri…

In accordance with this section, a school board may dismiss a principal before the expiration of the contract term. [PL 1991, c. 556, §1 (NEW); PL 1991, c. 556, §2 (AFF).] 1. Requirements. The principal may be dismissed only: A. After consideration of a recommendation of the supe…

The right to terminate a contract, after due notice of 90 days, is reserved to the school board when changes in local conditions warrant the elimination of the principal's position for which the contract was made.

In assigning salaries to teachers of public schools, discrimination may not be made between male and female teachers with the same training and experience employed in the same grade or performing the same kinds of duties.

1. Minimum salary schedule. 2. Increase. 3. Substitute teachers. Substitute teachers must be compensated at the rate of not less than $30 for each day of service. Any substitute teacher under contract with the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Gove…

Each school administrative unit shall establish a minimum salary of $30,000 for certified teachers for the school year starting after June 30, 2007 and before July 1, 2020.

Each school administrative unit shall establish a minimum salary for certified teachers and career and technical education teachers as follows: [PL 2021, c. 441, §1 (AMD).] 1. School year 2020-2021. For the school year starting after June 30, 2020, the minimum salary is $35,000; …

1. School year 2027-2028. For the school year starting after June 30, 2027, the minimum salary for certified teachers and career and technical education teachers is $45,000; 2. School year 2028-2029. For the school year starting after June 30, 2028, the minimum salary for certifi…

Group accident and sickness or health insurance must be available to retired and certain inactive teachers as defined in Title 5, section 17001, subsection 42, subject to the following. [PL 1997, c. 652, §3 (AMD); PL 1997, c. 652, §4 (AFF).] 1. Access to a group plan. The group a…

1. Minimum annual sick leave. A school administrative unit shall grant all certified teachers, except substitute teachers as defined by the commissioner, a minimum annual sick leave of 10 school days, cumulative to a minimum of 90 school days, without loss of salary. 2. Transferr…

A school administrative unit shall grant a certified teacher, except a substitute teacher as defined by the commissioner, leave of absence without pay and without forfeiture of continuing contract status and other accumulated benefits to fulfill the duties of a Legislator, provid…

Teachers who are members of the National Guard or the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces are entitled to take a military leave of absence from their respective duties, without loss of pay or time when engaged in military training not to exceed 17 calendar days in any cale…

1. Leaves of absence granted by school board. To increase the efficiency of the public schools and to permit teachers, principals or other persons to pursue a further course of study or to travel to be better qualified by education and culture for the position they hold in the sc…

A school administrative unit shall grant up to 15 paid leave days to a public school employee affected by the illness caused by infection with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, referred to in this section as “COVID-19,” in accordance with the following. [PL 2021, c. 614, §1 (AMD).] 1. …

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 2011, c. 635, Pt. A, §3 (NEW).] 1. Educator. "Educator" means a teacher or a principal. 2. Effectiveness rating. "Effectiveness rating" means the level of effecti…

Each school administrative unit shall develop and implement a performance evaluation and professional growth system for educators. The system must meet the criteria set forth in this chapter and rules adopted pursuant to this chapter and must be approved by the department.

1. Use of effectiveness rating. A superintendent may use effectiveness ratings of educators to inform strategic human capital decision making, including, but not limited to, decision making regarding recruitment, selection, induction, mentoring, professional development, compensa…

A performance evaluation and professional growth system consists of the following elements: [PL 2011, c. 635, Pt. A, §3 (NEW).] 1. Standards of professional practice. Standards of professional practice by which the performance of educators must be evaluated. A. The department sha…

The requirements of this chapter apply to all school administrative units beginning in the 2017-2018 school year. In the 2014-2015 school year, each unit shall develop a system that meets the standards of this chapter, in collaboration with teachers, principals, administrators, s…

The department shall adopt rules to implement this chapter. The department shall also adopt rules pertaining to the approval of performance evaluation and professional growth systems pursuant to section 13702. The department shall also adopt rules pertaining to the ongoing monito…

If an administrative unit engages in collective bargaining as required in Title 26, then it shall not enact any ordinance which requires employees to reside within the boundaries of the unit as a condition for employment. A collective bargaining agreement may include a residency …

1. Department to propose models. The department shall propose models for evaluation of the professional performance of teachers and principals employed in a school administrative unit within the State. The models must include multiple measures. 2. Use of models. Each school admin…

As used in this Title and Title 20, unless the context indicates otherwise, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1981, c. 693, §§5, 8 (NEW).] 1. Aggregate attendance. "Aggregate attendance" means the total number of days of attendance for one school year in elemen…

The Treasurer of State shall keep a separate account of all money received from sales of lands appropriated for the support of schools or from notes taken therefor and of any other money appropriated for the same purpose. Those sums constitute the Permanent School Fund, which mus…

Notwithstanding any statute or charter provision to the contrary, a school administrative unit shall annually adopt a school budget for a period beginning on July 1st and ending on June 30th.

The unexpended balance of all money raised by a school administrative unit, received from the State for general-purpose aid or for other educational programs; from the Federal Government directly or from the Federal Government through the State; from tuition payments made by othe…

1. Apportionments. Unless otherwise required by law, the State shall pay apportionments to school administrative units, career and technical education regions and private schools annually commencing in July. The State shall pay an amount not to exceed 1/12 of the subsidy each mon…

1. Municipal schools. Money appropriated for public schools for educational purposes may be paid from the treasury of a municipality by the treasurer of the municipality in the following circumstances: A. Upon written order of the municipal officers following receipt of a bill of…

All income derived from ministerial and school lands within a municipality and from rents and profits of real and personal estate held under Title 13, section 3166, shall be annually applied to the support of public schools in the municipality or the schooling of resident student…

A school administrative unit may establish and expend a fuel cost stabilization fund as provided in this section. [PL 2009, c. 104, §1 (NEW).] 1. Establishment and funding. The voters or other legislative body of a school administrative unit may establish a fuel cost stabilizatio…

1. Authorization to administer funds. The department may administer all allotments of federal funds pertaining to schools, educational programs and institutions of higher education. The commissioner shall act for the department except where otherwise specified in the law. 2. Awar…

This chapter may be known and cited as "the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act."

Essential programs and services are those educational resources that are identified in this chapter necessary to ensure the opportunity for all students to meet the standards in the 8 content standard subject areas and goals of the system of learning results established in chapte…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12" means providing the cost of funding the essential programs and services described in this …

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 2003, c. 504, Pt. A, §6 (NEW).] 1. Allocation year. "Allocation year" means the year that subsidy is distributed to school administrative units. 1-A. Adjusted tot…

1. Pupil counts used for determination of operating costs. In addition to the additional weighted counts authorized under section 15675 and except as provided in subsection 2, the pupil count used for operating costs in this Act is the sum of: A. [PL 2025, c. 650, Pt. KK, §3 (RP)…

For the purpose of calculating the total operating allocation under this chapter pursuant to section 15683, the following additional weights must be added to the per-pupil count calculated under section 15674, subsection 1, paragraph C or D, whichever is applicable. [PL 2021, c. …

For each school administrative unit, the commissioner shall calculate the unit's EPS per-pupil rate for each year as the sum of: [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §39 (AMD); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005, c. 12, Pt. WW, §18 (AFF).] 1. Teaching staff costs. Beginning July 1, …

1. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Receiving unit" means the school administrative unit to which students are sent by the sending unit. [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §40 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §§72, 74 (AFF); PL 2005,…

1. Salary matrix defined. For purposes of this section, "salary matrix" means the relationships on a statewide basis between average staff salaries and: A. Years of staff experience; and [PL 2003, c. 504, Pt. A, §6 (NEW).] B. Levels of staff education. [PL 2003, c. 504, Pt. A, §6…