Voters say ‘no’ to regionalizaton

     With the exception of SAD 25 and Moro Plantation, voters in Aroostook County sent plans for school consolidation down to a resounding defeat, again, on the Jan. 27 ballot. Any district not having a plan in place to meet the Jan. 30 deadline faces penalties as the thorny issue of school reorganization continues to dog districts struggling to find solutions to a state mandate.   
    SAD 25 Superintendent John Doe says even though voters approved a plan, his district, like Moro Plantation, does not have enough students to stand alone and faces substantial penalties. “I hope the penalties will be repealed because $67,000 will affect the bottom line of the school budget,” said Doe of his district’s financial situation.
    David Connerty-Marin, spokesperson for Maine Education Commissioner Susan Gendron, said she has indicated support for a one-year reprieve for SAD 25 and Moro Plantation so that those areas can find partners or solutions. Connerty-Marin added that penalties are 2 percent of the state subsidy and Gendron does not have legal authority to waive them.
    The best hope for state school districts not in compliance with the consolidation, may be in the legislature with any of a number of possible bills that would eliminate penalties. In Houlton, SAD 29 Chairman Brian McGuire has said the district continues to search, in good faith, for a viable solution, a partner and an acceptable plan.