Staff Writer
HODGDON — There’s still plenty of work left to be done, but some members of the regionalization planning committee have expressed skepticism about the end result.
This fall, representatives from area school districts and towns convened to begin planning for the proposed regional school unit (RSU). The new alignment, being imposed by the state, could combine all area school districts — SAD 29 in Houlton, SAD 25 in Stacyville, SAD 70 in Hodgdon, SAD 14 in Danforth and CSD 9 in Dyer Brook, as well as, the towns of Hersey, Moro, Bancroft and Orient — into one super-sized school district.
At a planning meeting held Jan. 8, some members of the committee shared misgivings about the plan.
“The Department of Education is giving the impression that all of this is going fine and going ahead as planned,” said one unidentified committee member. “At some point, should we say this isn’t working?”
“I don’t see how this is going to work,” chimed in another member. “I’m all for reducing property taxes, but the further we go along here, I just don’t see it.”
In addition to defining the structure of the new unit, the planning committee is also charged with showing how the new district would or would not create cost savings.
“By the time we figure out, in black and white, whether this will save money or not, it might be too late for us to do anything about it,” added Greg Ryan, a committee member from the Dyer Brook district.
But Mary Jane McCalmon, facilitator for the local group, advised members to hold off on their doubts until more of the planning is completed.
“No plan in the entire state is done,” she told the group. “There is a requirement for every RSU in the state to submit a plan. The law doesn’t say you have to like it.”
As far as potential cost savings in a new district, McCalmon says it’s too early to tell one way or the other.
“We’re just not there in determining cost savings,” she said. “I think we have a little way to go before we can say there is no savings. … All we [as a committee] have to do is present what we found.”
One other factor in the issue: the legislature is now in session and several changes to the consolidation law are being considered.
“Things are sort of in play right now because the legislature is hearing from people on this,” she said. “All we can do is continue down this road and make sure we know what we could be getting into.”
Also at the Jan. 8 meeting, various sub-committees met to continue planning and at the end of the meeting updated the whole committee on their work.
• At previous meetings, the governance sub-committee has reported that they are considering a regional school board that would be based on population and data from the 2006 U.S. Census. They feel that further dividing the board into local school sub-committees could create conflict between schools and the main district. Some of their work so far will be sent to school legal advisors for review.
• The finance sub-committee is considering framework for the new superintendent’s office. Currently on the drawing board is a central office that would include the following employees: a superintendent, assistant superintendent, a business manager, a payroll employee, a bookkeeper, administrative assistant and secretary. At work time during the next meeting, the finance subcommittee will attempt to outline costs for this central office configuration.
• A new cost-sharing subcommittee was created. Paul Harrison of New Limerick was named chair, and the group will consider how expenses would be divided in the new district.
The next meeting for the regionalization planning committee has been scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 22 at East Grand School in Danforth. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.
TESTIMONY — Sen. Roger Sherman (R-Aroostook) weighed in on the governor’s school consolidation plan at a Jan. 4 closed hearing before the Joint Standing Committee on Education. The committee is going to consolidate the various education proposals that exist into a single product. Sen. Sherman, vice chair of the Rural Caucus in Augusta, wanted the committee to reconsider how the Governor’s plan would affect the County. In his testimony, he said that the consolidation law ought to be repealed, but if that could not be done then the deadlines should be expanded, the penalties should be removed and regional school units should be allowed to organize as school unions.
