1. Definitions.

[PL 1991, c. 518, §38 (RP).]

Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 8606-A

  • Adult: means a person who has attained the age of 18 years. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Adult education: means an education program primarily operated for individuals beyond the compulsory school age that is administered by school administrative units through a career pathways and service system and that, except as provided in section 8602?B, includes intake, assessment, advising, instruction and individual learning plans; is guided by data management and analysis, annual monitoring and annual professional development plans; uses appropriately certified staff; is designed to meet identified local needs; makes use of partnerships and alignment with workforce development, postsecondary institutions and support services; and offers at least 3 of the following:
A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 8601-A
  • Adult education program costs: means those costs identified in section 8607?A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 8601-A
  • Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Education or the commissioner's designee. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 1
  • Department: means the Department of Education. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 1
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • in writing: include printing and other modes of making legible words. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Maximum allowable expenditures: means , for state subsidy purposes, an amount not to exceed the sum of funds appropriated through taxation and expended in accordance with section 8607?A in the base year, plus the amount of subsidy paid by the State during the base year. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 8601-A
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • 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
  • Unit: means a school administrative unit. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 8601-A
  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • 2. Budget recommendation. Prior to February 1st of each year, the commissioner shall notify each school board of the estimated amount of the funding levels to be allocated to the school administrative unit for the various program categories in adult education for payment in the next fiscal year. The commissioner shall include these funding levels in the department‘s request to the Legislature for appropriations from the General Fund to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
    A. The recommended funding level must include funds in an amount that is sufficient to provide for state administration of adult education programs including funds for the cost of high school equivalency tests and administration; supporting volunteer literacy programs; state-sponsored professional development; state-level data collection, including the required software for units, regions or centers providing adult education programs; and reimbursement of the costs listed in section 8607?A at the rates established in that section. The recommended funding level may not exceed the maximum allowable expenditures in the base year, adjusted pursuant to paragraph C. [PL 2017, c. 381, §12 (AMD).]
    B. A unit, region or center shall provide the commissioner with information requested by the commissioner to carry out the purpose of this chapter. The commissioner may withhold state subsidy payment or a portion of the state subsidy payment from a unit, region or center if the unit, region or center does not provide requested information to the commissioner in compliance with the specified format, content and time schedule established by the commissioner. [PL 2007, c. 131, §5 (AMD).]
    C. The recommendation must include local adult education program cost adjustment to the equivalent of the year prior to the year of allocation. This adjustment is calculated according to the same guidelines established, for purposes of chapter 606?B, by section 15689?C, subsection 3. [PL 2017, c. 381, §12 (AMD).]

    [PL 2017, c. 381, §12 (AMD).]

    3. State reimbursement. State reimbursement for expenditures on adult education programs must be based on each unit’s, region’s or center’s actual adult education program costs in the base year.
    A. The state reimbursement must be based on the unit’s, region’s or center’s expenditures for the base year in accordance with the maximum allowable expenditures and the local program cost adjustment to the equivalent of the year prior to the year of the allocation. [PL 2007, c. 131, §5 (AMD).]
    B. State reimbursement must be paid to each eligible unit, region or center during the 2nd quarter of the State’s fiscal year. [PL 2007, c. 131, §5 (AMD).]

    [PL 2011, c. 517, §8 (AMD).]

    4. Action by Legislature. The Legislature shall appropriate the necessary funds to meet the State’s obligation for reimbursement of adult education program costs as provided in this section.

    [PL 1991, c. 518, §38 (AMD).]

    5. Rule-making authority.

    [PL 1991, c. 518, §38 (RP).]

    6. State administration.

    [PL 2007, c. 131, §5 (RP).]

    7. Notification. If the state allocation for expenditures on adult education programs falls below 95% of the allocation established for the prior year pursuant to subsection 2, the department’s office of adult education shall notify the Governor’s office and the Legislature in writing. The notice must include the total amount necessary to fulfill the State’s obligation for reimbursement of adult education program costs as provided in this section and the total amount that is available.

    [PL 2023, c. 412, Pt. RRR, §1 (NEW).]

    SECTION HISTORY

    PL 1987, c. 395, §A80 (NEW). PL 1987, c. 496, §2 (NEW). PL 1987, c. 769, §A62 (RPR). PL 1991, c. 518, §38 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 528, §I3 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 528, §RRR (AFF). PL 1991, c. 591, §I3 (AMD). PL 1993, c. 349, §49 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 368, §C1 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 2, §D30 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 2, §§D72,74 (AFF). PL 2005, c. 12, §D1 (AMD). PL 2005, c. 12, §WW18 (AFF). PL 2007, c. 131, §5 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 517, §§7, 8 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 381, §12 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 412, Pt. RRR, §1 (AMD).