2007 - 2008 TUITION RATES

INFORMATIONAL LETTER: 68
POLICY CODE: DB

TO: Superintendents of Schools and Selected Private Secondary School Administrators
FROM : Susan A. Gendron, Commissioner of Education
DATE: January 4, 2008
SUBJECT: 2007 - 2008 TUITION RATES

Computation of the tuition rates for the 2007-2008 school year are now available on the Department of Education’s website: http://www.maine.gov/education/data/tuitionrates/tuitrate.htm

This page includes rates for:

Public School Elementary Students
Public School Secondary Students
Private School Elementary and Secondary Students

The statutory basis for these rate determinations has not changed from that used in prior years. 20-A M.R.S.A. sections 5804 - 5806 specify the method of computing these tuition charges. A brief summary of these methods is provided below. The complete statutory law is available at http://janus.state.me.us/legis/statutes/20-A/title20-Ach219sec0.html

TUITION FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS: 2007-2008

Elementary (K-8) Students

Current statute (20-A M.R.S.A., section 5804, subsection 1) states: "The maximum tuition payments shall not exceed the receiving school administrative unit's per student cost for the preceding year as calculated by the commissioner. The school board of the sending unit may vote to pay a higher tuition rate."

Secondary (9-12) Students

Current statute (20-A M.R.S.A. section 5805) establishes the method for calculating secondary tuition rates for any secondary student attending a public school in 2006-2007. Subsection 2 of this statute establishes that the maximum allowable tuition rate may not exceed the lesser of:

the per pupil expenditure in that public school (for all allowable expenditures) in 2006-07 after an adjustment for inflationary increases; or
the statewide average public secondary per pupil expenditure (for all allowable expenditures) in 2006-07 after an adjustment for inflationary increases.

However, 20-A M.R.S.A. section 5805, subsection 2, further explains that the school board of the sending unit may vote to pay a higher tuition rate.

TUITION FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS: 2007-2008

For your information, in order for a private school to be approved for tuition purposes by the State of Maine (per Maine statute, 20-A M.R.S.A. section 2951), the school must meet the following requirements:

Meet basic approval requirements (20-A M.R.S.A. section 2901 et seq.);
Be a non-sectarian school;
Be incorporated under the laws of the State of Maine or the United States;
Meet all other requirements of this subchapter of Title 20- A including the requirements pertaining to financial audits, student assessment, and student records.

Elementary (K-8) Students

20-A M.R.S.A. section 5804, subsection 2 states: “The tuition payment to a private school shall not exceed the average per student cost in all public elementary schools in the State for the previous year as computed by the commissioner.”

Secondary (9-12) Students

Current statute (20-A M.R.S.A. section 5806) establishes the method of calculating secondary tuition rates for any secondary student attending a private school approved for tuition purposes per 20-A M.R.S.A section 2951. Section 5806, subsection 2, requires that the tuition for any secondary student attending a private school in 2007-2008 may not exceed the sum of A and B:

A. the lesser of:

1. the per pupil expenditure in that private school (for allowable expenditures) in 2006-07 after an adjustment for inflationary increases; or
2. the statewide average public secondary per pupil expenditure (for all allowable expenditures) in 2006-07 after an adjustment for inflationary increases; and

B. an insured value factor (computed as 5% of the insured value of the school buildings and equipment divided by the average number of pupils enrolled in the school on October 1, 2006 and April 1, 2007) and which is limited to 10.0% of a school’s legal tuition rate per student in any one year.

20-A M.R.S.A section 5806, subsection 3 sets forth those instances when a private secondary school may charge a tuition rate above the allowable maximum.

If you have any questions regarding these tuition rates, please contact Joanne Allen of General Purpose Aid Support Services via e-mail at joanne.allen@maine.gov .