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An Act To Ensure Federal Title I Funding Is Directed to Classroom Learning
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §15671, sub-§5-B  is enacted to read:
 
5-B.  Federal Title I, Part A grant funds.     Federal grant funds received under Title I, Part A of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 20 United States Code, Section 6301 et seq., as amended by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, 20 United States Code, Chapter 70, must be used by a school administrative unit as defined by section 1, subsection 26 to:
 
A.  Supplement and not supplant any state and local funds allocated to the school administrative unit under this chapter;
 
B.  Provide all students with a significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable and high-quality education; and
 
C.  Close educational achievement gaps.
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §15676, sub-§§1 and 2, as corrected by RR 2011, c. 2, §19, are amended to read:
 
1. Teaching staff costs.   The salary and benefit costs for school level teaching staff that are necessary to carry out this Act, calculated in accordance with section 15678, adjusted by the regional adjustment under section 15682 and reduced by the amount of funds received by the school administrative unit during the most recent fiscal year under Title I of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 20 United States Code, Section 6301 et seq.;
 
2. Other staff costs.   The salary and benefit costs for school-level staff who are not teachers, but including substitute teachers, that are necessary to carry out this Act, calculated in accordance with section 15679, adjusted by the regional adjustment under section 15682 and reduced by the amount of funds received by the school administrative unit during the most recent fiscal year under Title I of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 20 United States Code, Section 6301 et seq.; and
 
SUMMARY
This bill amends the school funding formula in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act to remove the reduction of the federal Title I funds under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 received by school administrative units for teachers and other school staff and to require that school administrative units use federal Title I, Part A grant funds received under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, only to supplement the school administrative unit's funds that would, in the absence of such federal funds, be allocated from state and local school funding sources for the education of students participating in programs assisted under the federal law and not to supplant such state and local funds allocated to the school administrative unit.