AUGUSTA -- Members of a legislative panel narrowly rejected a bill Wednesday that would allow charter schools in Maine, setting the stage for a contentious debate on the Senate floor.

In an 8-5 vote, the Legislature's Education Committee ceded to concerns that allowing charter schools would direct funds away from local school districts already reeling from reduced state subsidies.

The lawmakers in favor of allowing the independently-run public schools said the legislation's passage was overdue in Maine, one of 10 states that do not allow charter schools.

The bill -- sponsored by Sen. Dennis Damon, D-Trenton, and opposed by the state's largest teachers' union and a group representing Maine superintendents -- next goes to the Senate for debate.

The Education Committee vote defied party lines, with the panel's four Republicans evenly split on the bill and the committee's nine Democrats voting 6-3 against it. Two co-sponsors of the legislation -- Sen. Justin Alfond, D-Portland, and Rep. David Richardson, R-Carmel -- ultimately opposed the bill.

"I would love to do this, but I just don't find the funding is made available appropriately, where this isn't going to suck the lifeblood out of the smaller schools," said Sen. Elizabeth Schneider, D-Orono. "I have serious questions about making this move, especially at a time when resources are stressed so fully."

The legislation would set up a 10-year pilot period for charter schools, which could be commissioned both by local school boards and by universities. The schools would receive their funds on a per-student basis from the students' home school districts.

Students would choose to attend the schools, which are often tailored to specific student interests and learning styles.

The amended version of the bill that legislators voted on limited school boards to setting up 10 charter schools -- in some cases, converting existing schools to charter schools -- during the pilot period, and would have applied the same limit to universities.

"Our primary responsibility is for the education of the children of Maine," said Sen. Carol Weston, R-Montville. "We should be adding one more tool for parents, an opportunity for parents."

But that opportunity could divert too many students and resources away from locally funded, public schools, said Rep. Edward Finch, D-Fairfield.

"The authorizing agent could be an entity outside of your community, opening it up to your students, over which you have no control," he said.

If a high number of students, however, are choosing to leave their home school systems for charter schools, "that would tell you that something's wrong," said Rep. Alan Casavant, D-Biddeford.

"Is the current system, the status quo, working?" he asked. "If it's not, then let's try something."

"If we don't experiment, we stagnate," he added.

Allowing charter schools in Maine, Education Commissioner Susan Gendron said, would expose the state to some federal funds that have not previously been available.

The Education Committee debate took place the same day U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan told a congressional committee that states that limit the number of charter schools they allow might have a hard time accessing $100 billion in education reform funds.

Matthew Stone -- 623-3811, ext. 435

mstone@centralmaine.com