Types of School Administrative Units in Maine. What is the right solution for Arundel?

Maine's school administrative units use the following school governance structures.?

Cities or Towns with Individual Supervision

A city or town with individual school supervision is a single municipality. A school committee administers the education of all grades in the city or town through a superintendent of schools. The city or town charter usually determines the method of budget approval leading up to approval by voters at referendum.

Regional School Units

A regional school unit (RSU) is a combination of two or more municipalities that pool their educational resources to educate all students. One school committee (comprised of representatives from each of the municipalities) administers the education of grades K-12 through a superintendent of schools. Budget approval is by majority vote of those present and voting at a district budget meeting followed by approval at referendum. The member municipalities share the RSU costs based on a formula that may factor in state valuation and/or the number of pupils as specified in their voter-approved reorganization plan. 

Alternative Organizational Structures

An alternative organizational structure (AOS) is a combination of two or more school administrative units joined together for the purpose of providing administrative and, sometimes, educational services.? Administrative services provided by the AOS are system administration (a superintendent and the superintendent's office), special education administration, transportation administration and the business functions of accounting, reporting, payroll, financial management, purchases and audit. ?

Each member entity maintains its own budget, has its own school board, and is operated in every way as a separate unit except for the administrative services and those educational services indicated in the AOS reorganization plan. ?Budget approval is by majority vote of those present and voting at district budget meetings. The member entities share the AOS costs based on a formula specified in the AOS reorganization plan.

In addition, the AOS school committee is comprised of representatives from each of the member entity school boards and conducts the business of the AOS. All votes of the AOS school committee are cast in accordance with voting procedures specified in the AOS reorganization plan.

Regional School Units Doing Business As School Administrative Districts

A regional school unit doing business as a school administrative district (RSU/SAD) is a combination of two or more municipalities that pool their educational resources to educate all students. One school committee (comprised of representatives from each of the municipalities) administers the education through a superintendent of schools. Budget approval is by majority vote of those present and voting at a district budget meeting followed by approval at referendum. The member municipalities share the RSU/SAD costs based on a formula that factors in state valuation and/or number of pupils. NOTE: There are a few SADs comprised of one town because of unique situations and private and special laws.

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