130th MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 334		LR 476(03)
	An Act To Help Maine Students Catch Up and Keep Up by Providing Remedial and Compensatory Assistance in Response to Education Disruption
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Engrossed with: C "A" (H-544)
	Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Fiscal Note
Potential current biennium cost increase - Federal Expenditures Fund Reduction of tuition revenue - Maine Community College System
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	This legislation requires the Department of Education to establish a grant program to provide funding to local school administrative units (SAUs) to provide academic and enrichment programs for students scoring below proficient levels in English Language Arts or Math and to provide funds for an administrator of a tutoring program for eligible SAUs utilizing eligible federal funds, including, but not limited to, funding allocated to the State in any federal law enacted after December 15, 2020 that may be available for this purpose.  According to the department, SAUs have obligated approximately $16.3 million of funding received through the Elementary and Secondary Educations Act (ESEA) and the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund through May 15th, to support summer programming in 2021.
	Requiring the Maine Community College System (MCCS) to waive the difference between the amount of full tuition and fees and the amount provided by a Federal Pell Grant for a 2-year period to any student who graduated from a high school in the State in the 2019-20 or 2020-21 school year and who has completed an application for federal student aid programs and is eligible for a Federal Pell Grant will result in a loss of revenue from tuition and fees to the MCCS.  The MCCS estimates the loss of revenue to be approximately $1.7 million for each of the 2 years.  This legislation provides that MCCS may request federal funding allocated to the State in any federal law enacted after December 15, 2020 that provides stimulus funds due to the COVID-19 pandemic and additional General Fund appropriations from the Legislature to offset the reduction in tuition revenue.