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Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff
The following provisions govern the right of secondary students to attend school in another school administrative unit other than the one in which they are resident.
1. Units with a secondary school. A secondary student may attend an approved private school or a public secondary school in any school administrative unit with the consent of the receiving school's school board. The student's parent or guardian shall pay the cost of tuition and transportation. The receiving school shall notify the superintendent of the school administrative unit where the student's parents reside of the name and grade of the accepted student.
2. Living remote from public schools in a school administrative unit. Secondary students whose parents live remote from a public school in their school administrative unit may, with the consent of the school board in their unit, attend public school in an adjoining school administrative unit in Maine or a neighboring state if the adjoining unit accepts tuition students. The school administrative unit where the students' parents reside shall pay tuition.
3. Contract school. Students whose parents reside in a school administrative unit which contracts for school privileges under section 2701 may attend the contract school. The school administrative unit in which their parents reside shall pay the cost of the contract.
4. No secondary school. A school administrative unit that neither maintains a secondary school nor contracts for secondary school privileges pursuant to chapter 115 shall pay the tuition, in accordance with chapter 219, at the public school or the approved private school of the parent's choice at which the student is accepted.
5. Units with 10 or fewer students. Secondary students whose parents reside in a school administrative unit with a total April 1st resident student count of 10 or less may attend public school as tuition students in a nearby school administrative unit. The school board of the nearby school administrative unit shall accept the students if requested by the school board of the unit in which the students' parents reside. The school board where the students' parents reside shall pay tuition.
6. Insufficient courses; time limitations. If the secondary school does not offer 2 approved foreign language courses, then its students may attend another secondary school approved for tuition purposes to take the language courses provided that:
A. The receiving school accepts tuition students;
B. The students meet the qualifications for attending their own secondary school; and
C. The students have notified their own school administrative unit by April 1st, before the start of each school year, that they wish to take the foreign language not being offered by their school administrative unit. Their school administrative unit shall notify them on or before July 15th of that year when the language course will be offered in the next school year.
Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A. Education § 5204. Secondary students right to attend school in another administrative unit - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/me/title-20-a-education/me-rev-st-tit-20-a-sect-5204/
FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.
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