See “Part E” of the new COVID-19 response law. Schools may operate under the terms of the previous year’s budget until they are able to hold new budget votes.

PART E

Sec. E-1. School budget. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 15693, subsection 2, paragraph C or any other law or municipal charter provision or ordinance to the contrary, if, due to a state of emergency declared by the Governor in accordance with Title 37-B, section 742 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and 30 days following the termination of that state of emergency, the level of state subsidy for the 2020-2021 school year is not finalized in accordance with Title 20-A, chapter 606-B before June 1, 2020, a school board may delay a school budget meeting otherwise required to be held before July 1, 2020 to a date on or after July 1, 2020. If a school board elects to delay a school budget meeting under this section, the meeting must be held and the budget approved within 30 days of the date the commissioner notifies the school board of the amount allocated to the school administrative unit under Title 20-A, section 15689-B or the termination of the state of emergency declared by the Governor due to COVID-19. When a school budget meeting is delayed under this section, the school administrative unit may continue operation of the unit at the same budget levels as were approved for the previous year. Continued operation under the budget for the previous year is limited to the time between July 1, 2020 and the date the new budget goes into effect. As used in this section, “state subsidy” means the total of the state contribution determined under Title 20-A, section 15688, subsection 3-A, paragraph D and any applicable adjustment under Title 20-A, section 15689.

Sec. E-2. Retroactivity; repeal. This Part applies retroactively to March 1, 2020 and is repealed January 15, 2021.

http://mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_129th/chapters/PUBLIC617.asp