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An Act To Increase Transparency and Improve Equity in Appeals to Superintendents' Agreements
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §5205, sub-§6, ¶B, as enacted by PL 1981, c. 693, §§5 and 8, is amended to read:
 
B.  On the request of the parent of a student requesting transfer under paragraph A, the commissioner shall review the transfer. If the commissioner decides to allow a transfer that was not approved by the superintendents, the commissioner shall provide a written description of the basis of the commissioner’s determination that the transfer is in the best interest of the student. The commissioner's decision shallmay be final and bindingappealed by one or both of the superintendents to the state board. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, when a transfer is implemented pursuant to the commissioner’s order pursuant to this paragraph, the State shall reimburse the receiving school administrative unit’s actual costs for implementing the transfer order.
 
SUMMARY
This bill provides that, if the Commissioner of Education decides to allow a student transfer that was not approved by the superintendents of the affected school administrative units, the commissioner is required to provide a written description of the basis of the commissioner’s determination that the transfer is in the best interest of the student and the State is required to reimburse the receiving school administrative unit’s actual costs for implementing the transfer order. The bill also provides that the commissioner's decision may be appealed by one or both of the superintendents to the State Board of Education.