The following provisions govern the right of secondary students to attend school in another school administrative unit other than the one in which they are resident. [PL 1981, c. 693, §§ 5, 8 (NEW).]
1. Units with a secondary school. A secondary student may attend an approved private school or a public secondary school in any school administrative unit with the consent of the receiving school’s school board. The student’s parent or guardian shall pay the cost of tuition and transportation. The receiving school shall notify the superintendent of the school administrative unit where the student’s parents reside of the name and grade of the accepted student.

[PL 1981, c. 693, §§ 5, 8 (NEW).]

Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 5204

  • Approved private school: means a private school approved for attendance purposes under chapter 117. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 1
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Parent: means a parent, guardian or legal guardian. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 1
  • Private school: means an academy, seminary, institute or other private corporation or body formed for educational purposes covering kindergarten through grade 12 or any portion thereof. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 1
  • Public school: means a school that is governed by a school board of a school administrative unit and funded primarily with public funds. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 1
  • School administrative unit: means the state-approved unit of school administration and includes a municipal school unit, school administrative district, community school district, regional school unit or any other municipal or quasi-municipal corporation responsible for operating or constructing public schools, except that it does not include a career and technical education region. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 1
  • School board: means the governing body with statutory powers and duties for a school administrative unit. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 1
  • Secondary school: means that portion of a school that provides instruction in any combination of grades 9 through 12. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 1
  • Secondary student: means a student enrolled in a secondary school. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 1
  • Superintendent: means the person in a school administrative unit or school union appointed and having the authority and responsibility under this Title and other applicable statutes. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 1
  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
2. Living remote from public schools in a school administrative unit. Secondary students whose parents live remote from a public school in their school administrative unit may, with the consent of the school board in their unit, attend public school in an adjoining school administrative unit in Maine or a neighboring state if the adjoining unit accepts tuition students. The school administrative unit where the students’ parents reside shall pay tuition.

[PL 1981, c. 693, §§ 5, 8 (NEW).]

3. Contract school. Students whose parents reside in a school administrative unit which contracts for school privileges under section 2701 may attend the contract school. The school administrative unit in which their parents reside shall pay the cost of the contract.

[PL 1981, c. 693, §§ 5, 8 (NEW).]

4. No secondary school. A school administrative unit that neither maintains a secondary school nor contracts for secondary school privileges pursuant to chapter 115 shall pay the tuition, in accordance with chapter 219, at the public school or the approved private school of the parent’s choice at which the student is accepted.

[PL 2007, c. 668, §30 (AMD).]

5. Units with 10 or fewer students. Secondary students whose parents reside in a school administrative unit with a total April 1st resident student count of 10 or less may attend public school as tuition students in a nearby school administrative unit. The school board of the nearby school administrative unit shall accept the students if requested by the school board of the unit in which the students’ parents reside. The school board where the students’ parents reside shall pay tuition.

[PL 1981, c. 693, §§ 5, 8 (NEW).]

6. Insufficient courses; time limitations. If the secondary school does not offer 2 approved foreign language courses, then its students may attend another secondary school approved for tuition purposes to take the language courses provided that:
A. The receiving school accepts tuition students; [PL 1981, c. 693, §§ 5, 8 (NEW).]
B. The students meet the qualifications for attending their own secondary school; and [PL 1981, c. 693, §§ 5, 8 (NEW).]
C. The students have notified their own school administrative unit by April 1st, before the start of each school year, that they wish to take the foreign language not being offered by their school administrative unit. Their school administrative unit shall notify them on or before July 15th of that year when the language course will be offered in the next school year. [PL 1983, c. 859, Pt. C, §§ 6, 7 (AMD).]

[PL 1983, c. 859, Pt. C, §§ 6, 7 (AMD).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 1981, c. 693, §§5,8 (NEW). PL 1983, c. 859, §§C6,C7 (AMD). PL 1985, c. 797, §32 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 668, §30 (AMD).
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