125th MAINE LEGISLATURE
LD 498 LR 1148(02)
An Act To Extend the Length of the School Day
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "   "
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
             
Fiscal Note
State Mandate - Unfunded
FY 2011-12 FY 2012-13 Projections  FY 2013-14 Projections  FY 2014-15
Net Cost (Savings)
General Fund $0 $168,543,708 $171,442,659 $174,391,473
Appropriations/Allocations
General Fund $0 $168,543,708 $171,442,659 $174,391,473
State Mandates
Required Activity Unit Affected Local Cost
Requires that a school instructional day must be at least 5 hours and 45 minutes. School Significant statewide
The required local activities in this bill may represent a State mandate pursuant to the Constitution of Maine.  Unless General Fund appropriations are provided to fund at least 90% of the additional costs or a Mandate Preamble is amended to the bill and two-thirds of the members of each House vote to exempt this mandate from the funding requirement, municipalities may not be required to implement these changes.
Fiscal Detail and Notes
Extending the school day to 5 hours and 45 minutes is estimated to increase the total state and local cost of K-12 public education by $306,443,105 in fiscal year 2012-13, $311,713,926 in fiscal year 2013-14 and $317,075,406 in fiscal year 2014-15.  The General Purpose Aid for Local Schools program within the Department of Education will receive additional General Fund appropriations of $168,543,708, $171,442,659 and $174,391,473 in fiscal years 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15, respectively, to fund the State's required 55% share.  These amounts are reflected in the appropriations above.
In order to fully fund 90% of additional cost of extending the school day to 5 hours and 45 minutes, the General Purpose Aid for Local Schools program will require additional General Fund appropriations of  $107,255,087 in fiscal year 2012-13, $109,099,874 in fiscal year 2012-13 and $110,976,392 in fiscal year 2014-15.  These amounts are not reflected in the appropriations above but would be needed to fund the mandate.
Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Fiscal Year
2012-13 2013-14 2014-15
State and Local expenditures 1  $ 2,042,954,033  $ 2,078,092,842  $ 2,113,836,039
Current number of school days 180 180 180
Estimated expenditures per school day  $     11,349,745  $     11,544,960  $     11,743,534
Estimated # of hours in a current school day 5 5 5
Estimated expenditures per hour in current school day           2,269,949           2,308,992           2,348,707
Proposed increase in school day (45 minutes) 0.75 0.75 0.75
Number of days per week 5 5 5
Number of weeks per year 36 36 36
Increase to total cost of K-12 Education:  $    306,443,105  $    311,713,926  $    317,075,406
Transition % 100% 100% 100%
Total cost adjusted for transition %  $    306,443,105  $    311,713,926  $    317,075,406
State share  (%) 55% 55% 55%
State share ($)  $    168,543,708  $    171,442,659  $    174,391,473
Local share ($)  $    137,899,397  $    140,271,267  $    142,683,933
Total General Fund cost to fund 90% of requirement  $    275,798,794  $    280,542,534  $    285,367,865
Additional GF appropriation required   $    107,255,087  $    109,099,874  $    110,976,392
Local share @ 10%  $     30,644,310  $     31,171,393  $     31,707,541
Notes:
1  Based on fiscal year 2009-10 actual expenditures, excluding debt service, increased by Real Personal Income growth of 1.72% per year per Title 20-A, §15671.