The Board of the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf is established as the policy-making authority and the governing body of the center. [PL 2021, c. 646, §10 (AMD).]
1. Membership. In appointing members to the center board, the Governor shall give proper consideration to achieving statewide geographical representation, cultural equity and gender equity. In appointing voting members to the center board, the Governor shall select nominees with experience or special knowledge in one or more of the following areas: law, finance, organizational issues, management, education, human resources and collective bargaining. The center board and interested parties may submit a list of recommended candidates to the Governor to aid in making appointments of voting and nonvoting members. The appointments of voting members made by the Governor are subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters and subject to confirmation by the Legislature. The appointments of nonvoting members made by the Governor are not subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters or subject to confirmation by the Legislature. The Governor shall appoint the center board consisting of 15 voting members and 2 nonvoting members as follows:
A. Four parents of students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, including a minimum of one parent with a child enrolled in the site-based program and one parent with a child receiving service from the center's outreach program; [PL 2021, c. 646, §10 (AMD).]
B. Three deaf representatives of the State's deaf community; [PL 1995, c. 676, §5 (NEW).]
C. Eight members of the general public, at least 2 of whom must have expertise in deaf education; and [PL 1999, c. 775, §7 (AMD).]
D. [PL 1999, c. 775, §7 (RP).]
E. [PL 1999, c. 775, §7 (RP).]
F. Two students, one who attends a site-based program and one who receives outreach services, both of whom are nonvoting members and who may not participate as board members in executive sessions or receive materials as board members from executive sessions. [PL 2021, c. 646, §10 (AMD).]
[PL 2021, c. 646, §10 (AMD).]
2. Chair. The center board shall choose annually one of its members to serve as chair.
[PL 2021, c. 646, §10 (AMD).]
3. Meetings. The center board shall meet at regular intervals determined by the board.
[PL 2021, c. 646, §10 (AMD).]
4. Quorum. Each voting member of the center board is entitled to one vote. A majority of voting members of the center board constitutes a quorum for the transaction of any official business.
[PL 2021, c. 646, §10 (AMD).]
5. Terms of voting members. The terms of the voting members of the center board are for 3 years, unless otherwise designated, and are staggered with 1/3 of the voting members appointed each year. Members may be appointed for consecutive terms.
[PL 2021, c. 646, §10 (AMD).]
6. Terms of nonvoting members. The terms of the nonvoting student members, pursuant to subsection 1, paragraph F, must be determined by the center board.
[PL 2021, c. 646, §10 (AMD).]
7. Expenses. Voting members of the center board must be compensated according to the provisions of Title 5, chapter 379.
[PL 2021, c. 646, §10 (AMD).]
8. Appointments.
[PL 1999, c. 775, §7 (RP).]
