PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
Amend the bill by inserting after the enacting clause and before section 1 the following:
‘Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §2412, sub-§5, ¶¶J and K  are enacted to read:
 
J.  Public charter schools are subject to the same proficiency-based diploma standards set forth in section 4722-A and are eligible for the same transition grants as applicable to noncharter public schools in the State pursuant to section 4722-A, subsection 4.
 
K.  A public charter school that operates a public preschool program must comply with department rules for basic school approval standards for public preschool programs in accordance with section 4271, subsection 4 and section 4502, subsection 9.
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §2901, sub-§2, ¶A, as enacted by PL 1981, c. 693, §§5 and 8, is amended to read:
 
A. CurrentlyA private school approved for tuition purposes that enrolls at least 60% publicly funded students that is currently accredited by thea commission on independent schools of a New England Associationassociation of Colleges and Secondary Schoolsschools and colleges in fulfillment of its standards of accreditation and indicators and that also meets the applicable requirements of the system of learning results established in section 6209; or
Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §2902, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2011, c. 669, §2, is further amended to read:
 
3. Courses required by law.   Provide instruction in elementary schools as specified in sections 4701, 4704, 4706 and 4711 and in secondary schools as specified in sections 4701, 4704, 4706, 4722, 4722-A, 4723 and 4724. ’
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
 
SUMMARY
This amendment retains the provisions of the bill that clarify that public charter schools are subject to the provisions established under the system of learning results, including the statewide assessment program designed to measure students' academic achievement, that apply to public schools and private schools approved for tuition purposes that enroll at least 60% publicly funded students. This amendment adds the following provisions to the bill.
1. It provides that public charter schools are subject to the provisions established under the state standards initiated for awarding proficiency-based diplomas in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 4722-A and also provides that public charter schools are eligible for transition grants to implement the proficiency-based diploma standards.
2. It provides that a public charter school that operates a public preschool program must comply with the rules adopted by the Department of Education regarding basic school approval requirements for public preschool programs.
3. It updates a reference to the organization that approves accreditation for secondary private schools as part of the basic school approval provisions for private schools and revises this basic school approval provision to specify that a private school approved for tuition purposes that enrolls at least 60% publicly funded students may be approved under this provision if it also meets the requirements of the system of learning results.
4. It requires that private secondary schools approved for attendance purposes by the Department of Education include the instruction required by the provisions established under the state standards initiated for awarding proficiency-based diplomas to secondary school students.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)