AUGUSTA – Last week, the Legislature’s State and Local Government Committee voted in support of a measure sponsored by Rep. Dan Sayre, D-Kennebunk, that would create a standardized process for recalling public school board members in the event of misconduct.
In recent years, amid a fraught political climate, tensions have been rising on school boards across Maine. From disputes over student gender identity to disagreements regarding curriculum, municipalities across the state have seen a trend of increased resignations and calls for the removal of board members.
As amended, LD 849 would establish a standard procedure for recalling school board members for specific forms of misconduct, but not for the performance of a required or discretionary duty. Getting a recall of a school board member on the ballot would require citizens to obtain petition signatures from 25% of the number of local voters who participated in the previous gubernatorial election.
“This bill clarifies what constitutes grounds for recalling a school board member, and establishes a common process for recall that can be used in every municipality in the state,” said Sayre. “It has been amended to allow towns that have defined their own recall process in charter to continue to use that process.”
Sayre developed the language of the amendment in coordination with education organizations and the Maine School Board Association.
The measure will face votes in the House and Senate in the coming weeks.
Sayre is serving his second term in the Maine Legislature and is House chair of the Taxation Committee. He represents House District 135, which includes part of Kennebunk.
Contact:
Brian Lee (Sayre) | 305-965-2744###