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An Act To Limit the Scope of Miscellaneous Costs within the General Purpose Aid for Local Schools Appropriation
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §15689-A, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §61 and affected by §§72 and 74 and c. 12, Pt. WW, §18, is repealed.
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §15689-A, sub-§10, as amended by PL 2007, c. 539, Pt. W, §1, is repealed.
Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §15689-A, sub-§12-A, as amended by PL 2007, c. 539, Pt. C, §11, is further amended to read:
 
12-A. Learning through technology. The commissioner may pay costs attributed to staff support and system maintenance for a program that promotes learning through technology. A transfer of All Other funds from the General Purpose Aid for Local Schools account to Personal Services and All Other line categories in the Learning Through Technology General Fund nonlapsing account sufficient to support the Personal Services and All Other costs of one Education Team and Policy Director position, 2 Education Specialist III positions, one Planning and Research Associate I position, one Director of Special Projects position, one Education Specialist II position, the General Fund share of one Education Specialist II position and the agreement that provides one-to-one wireless computers for 7th grade, 8th grade and high school students and educators may occur annually by financial order upon recommendation of the State Budget Officer and approval of the Governor.
Sec. 4. 20-A MRSA §15689-A, sub-§16, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 539, Pt. C, §12, is repealed.
Sec. 5. 20-A MRSA §15689-A, sub-§17, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 539, Pt. W, §3, is repealed.
Sec. 6. 20-A MRSA §15689-A, sub-§18, as reallocated by RR 2007, c. 2, §6, is repealed.
 
SUMMARY
This bill amends the law concerning the various elements of the "miscellaneous costs" component of the general purpose aid for local schools appropriation, or GPA appropriation. The premise of the bill is that the GPA appropriation should be either a general purpose subsidy to local schools or a state expenditure that provides direct educational services to students who would otherwise be served by the State's public elementary or secondary schools. The bill eliminates the Commissioner of Education's authority to use GPA funds to pay the personnel costs for a range of state employees who work for the Department of Education and provide only indirect support to the public education system. The bill eliminates a similar authority to use GPA funds to pay for the personnel costs of 3 teachers employed by the Department of Corrections. The bill also eliminates the authority to use GPA funds to pay for general education research conducted by the University of Maine, but it retains the authority to use GPA funds to cover a contract with the university to monitor and update the essential programs and services school funding model.