Whereas, the management and control of the public schools located in the Town of Kennebunk and the Town of Kennebunkport are vested in School Administrative District No. 71, which includes the territory of those municipalities; and

Whereas, the State Board of Education has granted concept approval and design and funding approval for a school construction project to construct and equip a new kindergarten to grade 3 elementary school in the Town of Kennebunk; and

Whereas, at a district referendum held on October 1, 2002, the voters of School Administrative District No. 71 voted to authorize the school directors of the district to issue bonds or notes for school construction purposes for the project; and

Whereas, the plans and specifications for the project have been put out to bid and the district intends to award a construction contract and to issue bonds or notes for the project; and

Whereas, copies of the warrants for the referendum delivered to the towns and posted prior to the October 1, 2002 referendum were not attested; and

Whereas, the failure to attest copies of the warrants has created a legal technicality that could affect the marketability of the bonds or notes to be issued by the district in connection with the project; and

Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. Validation and authorization. Notwithstanding any provision of the Maine Revised Statutes to the contrary, the School Administrative District No. 71 school construction referendum conducted on October 1, 2002 and the proceedings related to that referendum are validated and made effective. School Administrative District No. 71 is authorized to enter into contracts and to issue bonds or notes of the district for school construction purposes in an amount not to exceed $16,052,724 to construct and equip a new elementary school for kindergarten and