Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §5804, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1983, c. 485, §24, is further amended to read:

1. Public schools. The maximum tuition payments shall not exceed payment is the receiving school administrative unit's per student cost for the preceding year as calculated by the commissioner or the average per student cost in all public elementary schools in the State for the previous year as computed by the commissioner, whichever is higher. The school board of the sending unit may vote to pay a higher tuition rate.

Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §5805, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1997, c. 266, §10, is further amended to read:

2. Maximum allowable tuition. The maximum allowable tuition charge by a public secondary school is the rate computed under subsection 1 or the state average per public secondary student cost as adjusted, whichever is lower higher. The school board of the sending unit may vote to pay a higher tuition rate.

SUMMARY

This bill requires the Commissioner of Education to pay for each tuition student to a public elementary or secondary school the actual per student cost or the average statewide per student cost, whichever is higher.