MEDIA RELEASE: Finalists identified for Maine DOE regional, integrated high school facility pilot

Out of seven applications, three finalists have been selected to complete the final application, which is due at the end of the year.

Augusta, Maine – Commissioner Robert G. Hasson today announced that the Maine Department of Education (DOE) has authorized three applicants – consisting of partnerships between school districts and their CTE, higher education, and business partners – to move forward to complete part 2 of the application for an Integrated, Consolidated 9-16 Education Facility Pilot project.

The 3 projects that have been identified to complete part 2 are as follows:

Fort Kent Community High School and Valley Rivers Middle School (MSAD 27), Wisdom Middle/High School (MSAD 33), Madawaska Middle/High School, and St. John Valley Technology Center. The application seeks to combine the three high schools and create one high school and CTE center.
Dexter Regional High School (MSAD 46), Piscataquis Community Secondary School (MSAD 4/RSU 80), Forest Hills High School (RSU 82/MSAD 12), Greenville Consolidated School, and Tri-County Technical Center (TCTC). The application seeks to combine the two high schools and create a new high school and CTE center.
Houlton Middle/High School (RSU 29), Southern Aroostook High School (RSU 50), Katahdin High School (RSU 50), Hodgdon Junior/High School (RSU 70), East Grand School (RSU 84), and Region 2 School of Applied Technology. The application includes five schools, spanning three counties, and seeks to combine with Region 2 School of Applied Technology.

“As we have traveled the state to discuss this unique and innovative opportunity for regional collaboration and construction, we have seen communities embrace the opportunity to imagine new possibilities for higher student achievement,” said Commissioner Hasson. “It is my hope that the pilot project that is eventually selected will set a new standard for regional approaches to high school, for expanding access to career and technical education, and for higher education and industry partnerships.”

In January, Commissioner Hasson and the State Board of Education announced the opportunity for partnering districts to submit plans intended to create and/or upgrade education facilities integrated with a career and technical school, the University of Maine System, and the Maine Community College System. Prior to the application deadline, Commissioner Hasson and representatives from the Maine Department of Education’s school facilities team and the Office of the Governor held four statewide information sessions for interested school districts in Presque Isle, Biddeford, Bangor and Augusta.

Part 1 of the application focused primarily on identifying the partners in each project, it was due May 1, 2017, and was evaluated by a team at the Department of Education.

Each of the applicants advancing on to Part 2 will have six months to complete additional requirements including a more comprehensive proposal for each project, an overview of the proposed model, an overview of the technical and financial supports needed from the Department in order to fully develop and implement the model, and evidence of approval votes by the various partners involved.

Upon receipt, review, and rating of all Part 2 applications by the Maine Department of Education, final scores will be established by combining Part 1 & Part 2 scores, and will be used to present a recommendation to the State Board of Education. The Department reserves the right to recommend more than one final project or to reject all applications.

Once the successful pilot project is identified and selected, the Department of Education intends to provide funds for required planning work associated with the development of the project (facilitation, legal, start up, referendum, etc.). Decisions about renovation, and/or expansion or building a new facility will be made during this planning phase.

“The recently passed budget makes a firm commitment to unlocking regional possibilities,” said Commissioner Hasson. “Based on the creativity and energy we have seen around this new program, I believe local communities will rise to the occasion and set a new standard for what they can achieve working together.”

The 3 projects will move forward with the next round of the application process, which involves work sessions with the Maine DOE and a December 29, 2017 due date.

More information about the pilot can be found on the Maine DOE’s Integrated, Consolidated 9-16 Education Facility Pilot web page.

For more information contact: Rachel Paling at (207) 624-6747 or rachel.paling@maine.gov

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FY 2018 Gifted and Talented program application now available

The FY2018 annual gifted and talented program and budget approval application is now available on the Maine DOE webite. The deadline for submission is Sept. 30, 2017. All school administrative units (SAU) are required to complete a renewal application, initial application, or waiver request.

Detailed instructions, the renewal application, the initial application, and a waiver request are available on the Department’s Gifted and Talented website.

Gifted and talented educational programs serve students who excel or demonstrate the potential to excel beyond their peers in terms of general intellectual ability, a specific academic aptitude or artistic ability. The Department requires schools identify and service gifted and talented students. A comprehensive, K-12 gifted and talented program ensures such students are provided with challenging curriculum commensurate with their abilities.

As a reminder, gifted and talented programs approved during FY2018 are for FY2020 funding.

If you have questions about the forms, please contact Maine DOE’s School Finance Coordinator Ida Batista at gt.doe@maine.gov or 624-6795.

PRIORITY NOTICE: Restraint and Seclusion Overview and Awareness Information Course Available

In partnership with SafeSchools, the Maine DOE is providing a course to all Maine schools that is an overview of Chapter 33: Rule Governing Physical Restraint and Seclusion at no cost to the local school system.

In accordance with Chapter 33, “Annually, each covered entity shall provide overview and awareness information to all staff, including contracted providers, regarding the content of this rule and any local policies or procedures related to the use of physical restraint and seclusion” (Chapter 33, Section 4.2).

SafeSchools and Maine DOE collaborated to create this 25 minute, web based course specifically to address Chapter 33.

This course meets the Chapter 33 requirement of “annual notification of rule and local policies” (Section 4.2).
This course DOES NOT meet the requirement of having “a sufficient number of administrators or designees, general and special education staff, maintain certification in an approved training” (Section 12).

For approved trainings, visit http://www.maine.gov/doe/school-safety/restraints/approved.html

The Restraint and Seclusion Overview and Awareness Information Course can be presented in a small or large group setting, or on an individual basis. All staff of a “covered entity” receive individual logins. A description of this customized course can be found on SafeSchools’ Maine Courses page.

safeschoolslogo Sarah Ricker, Student Assistance Coordinator, oversees guidance to schools and parents in regards to Chapter 33. Her work in creating this course with SafeSchools addresses the importance of ensuring that all teachers and administrators have consistent and accurate knowledge of Chapter 33 requirements so all students and staff feel safe and welcoming in their learning environment.

Download the Restraint and Seclusion Overview and Awareness Information Course flier here.

To register staff for the Restraint and Seclusion Overview and Awareness Information Course, contact Justin Moore at SafeSchools. He can be reached by calling 1-800-434-0154, ext 7028 or emailing at jmoore@safeschools.com.

Scheduled outage of NEO Information System: 7/13 – 7/17

The Maine Department of Education’s NEO Information system will be down for routine maintenance from July 13 – July 17. The scheduled outage is taking place so that staff can make necessary updates to the system.

Users will not be able to use the system or enter information from July 13 through July 17. It is expected to be back up on July 18. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause during the outage period.

If you have questions, please contact Shannon Bartash at 624-6799 or Shannon.bartash@maine.gov or contact the Help Desk at 624-6896 or MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov.

Statement about the 2017-18 budget and how it will affect ED279s

As you likely know by now, the biennial budget was enacted on July 4, 2017, and included finalized funding levels for 2017-18 State school subsidies (Public Law 2017 Ch. 284 Part C). While the Department appreciates that school districts and local governments are eager for updated funding projections for each district, it is important to note that this legislation includes a number of statutory changes to the formula that will take time to incorporate into the ED279 computer system. The estimated date that new ED279s subsidy printouts will be available is no later than July 21. As soon as these are available, a statement will be issued when the printouts have been posted to ED279 website at http://www.maine.gov/doe/eps/

The Department’s School Finance staff is working as quickly as possible, however they will need time to perform the necessary quality control steps to ensure that the amount for each school administrative unit is accurate.

It has come to our attention that other organizations have attempted to predict the amount of increase for each SAU. We caution you that these may not be accurate as they likely do not account for the formula changes that were enacted in Ch. 284. Only department issued amounts, which will be available on the ED279s when they are ready, should be used for budgeting purposes.

Also, please be aware that there is language in Ch. 284 Part JJJJJJJ of the enacted budget bill regarding the local action on any increase in their State subsidy and the use of the increased funds relating to requirements for reduction in local contribution and limitations on use of funds for increased expenditures. Please note that this section applies for both fiscal years 2017-18 and 2018-19 and may be found on page 817 of the budget bill, at the link below.

PL 2017 Ch. 284: http://legislature.maine.gov/ros/LawsOfMaine/breeze/Law/getDocById/?docId=57293

Please be assured that the Department is acutely aware of the need for updated information as soon as possible, and appreciates the difficulty that the delayed enactment of the state’s biennial budget has created on the local budgeting process for schools and municipalities. Our staff is committed to working as quickly as possible to provide you with the accurate information you need to finalize your budget. Thank you for your patience during this time.

RFP issued for Translation and Subscription Services to Provide Unlimited Access to Multi-Language Forms

The Maine Department of Education is seeking proposals for subscription services to provide unlimited remote access to all Maine School Administrative Units (SAUs) for the collection of ESSA Parent Notifications and forms to assist Maine’s SAUs in meeting ESSA compliance requirements. These documents must be available in English with translations in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Portuguese, Vietnamese, and Somali, with opportunities for additional languages to be added. The Department and SAUs must have the ability to upload locally created documents. These documents must be available to download and print onto State or local letterhead.

A copy of the RFP, as well as the Question & Answer Summary and all amendments related to this RFP, can be obtained at the following website: http://www.maine.gov/purchases/venbid/rfp.shtml

Proposals must be submitted to the State of Maine Division of Purchases, located at the Burton M. Cross Office Building, 111 Sewall Street – 4th Floor, Augusta, ME 04330. Proposals must be submitted by 4:00 pm, local time, on July 25, 2017, when they will be opened. Proposals not received at the Division of Purchases’ aforementioned address by the aforementioned deadline will not be considered for contract award.

NOTICE: Maine DOE during potential government shutdown

In the event of a statewide government shutdown, the Maine Department of Education will have the following lines of communication in place:

Civil rights complaints can be reported by calling (207) 624-6692.
Complaints about state and federal programs can be reported by calling (207) 624-6692.
Special Education complaints can be reported in writing by fax at (207) 624-6700.

For further information about the government shutdown subscribe to the state’s Citizen Alert System (CAS) at www.maine.gov/portal/CAS/ or visit maine.gov.

PRIORITY NOTICE: Requirements for renewal of criminal history records check

Beginning July 1, 2017, the processing of renewal of criminal history records check for those individuals that have not been continuously employed will require a national criminal history records check in order to be in compliance with State law (20-A MRS §6103) and rules (05-71 Chapter 115 Part 1, Section 3.2).

Individuals that have not been continuously employed (interrupted service) will be required to be re-fingerprinted to renew their criminal history records check.

If an individual believes they have been continuously employed and not reported in the NEO staff system, verification of their continuous employment will be necessary. Verification of employment documents should be sent along with the renewal application.

Instruction for criminal history records check and fingerprinting are available at: http://www.maine.gov/doe/cert/fingerprinting/renewal-instructions.html

For more information please contact the Certification office at 207-624-6603 or cert.doe@maine.gov

Maine DOE announces 5 student interns for the 2017 summer months

Augusta, Maine – The Maine Department of Education (DOE) today announced 5 student interns who will be working at the Maine DOE headquarters in Augusta for the summer.
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Joseph Leclair

A student at the University of Maine at Orono, Leclair is a double major in accounting and finance. During his internship he will be working with the School Finance group at the Maine DOE creating a handbook for the business offices at public schools. Leclair is from Fairfield, Maine.

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Casey Rogers

Rogers is a resident of Farmington, Maine and a student at the University of Maine at Orono with a major in social work and a minor in psychology. During her internship, she will be working as an in-field recruiter for the Maine DOE’s Migrant Education Program, and will be traveling to Aroostook and Washington Counties to meet families moving for the broccoli and blueberry harvests to determine eligibility and connect those families with services.

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Valentina Annunziata

A student at the University of Maine at Presque Isle with a major in criminal justice and a minor in pre-law studies, Annunziata will be working at the Maine DOE as an in-field recruiter for the Migrant Education Program and will be traveling to Aroostook and Washington Counties to meet families moving for the broccoli and blueberry harvests to determine eligibility and connect those families with services. She is from Honeoye Falls, New York.

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Zachary Napsey

A student at Husson University working on his degree in Elementary Education, Napsey will be spending his summer internship at the Maine DOE assisting in the re-collection and distribution of Maine Learning Through Technology (MLTI) devices throughout the state as well as assisting in other programs run by the Learning Through Technology Team. Napsey is from Claremont, NH.

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Ben Huber

A student at the University of Maine Orono where is he a double major in history and secondary education. During his summer internship at the Maine DOE, he will be assisting in the re-collection and distribution of MLTI devices throughout the state as well as assisting in other programs run by the Learning Through Technology Team. Huber is from Westborough, MA.

The Maine Government Summer Internship Program is available through the Margaret Chase Smith Center at the University of Maine.

Notice of Special Purpose Private School Tuition Rate Change – Future Builders School

Pursuant to Title 20-A, Chapter 303, subchapter 3§7302, the Maine Department of Education Special Services team has authorized a 2017 fiscal year rate change for Future Builders School effective July 1, 2017. The daily rate for Future Builders School will be $190, this rate will only apply to billing for days of attendance starting July 1, 2017.

Billing during the 2018 fiscal year for Future Builders School will still be subject to a rate change determined by analyzing expenditure report budgets submitted for the previous year.

For more information contact Tyler Backus, Maine DOE School Finance and Compliance Coordinator at 207-624-6635 or tyler.backus@maine.gov.