It seemed earlier this year Governor Baldacci’s
radical plan to slash the number of school districts in the state would
go nowhere. After an initial explosion of interest and a great deal of
skepticism, many detractors of the plan began to believe that the plan
would come out of the legislature significantly less radical.

    But there are indications that compromises which
would make consolidation more or less voluntary and other measures may
not come to pass and once again school boards, school administrations
and school supporters fear that local control of how children are
educated will be sacrificed at the altar of modest savings.

    Perhaps no where else is this fear more palpable
than in Cape Elizabeth, where enforced district consolidation will
likely mean increased costs and decreased results.

    Blessed with the resources of a largely affluent
population, Cape Elizabeth has grown used to being either at the top or
among the top handful of school districts that out perform the rest.
That this achievement is coupled with relatively per-pupil costs is no
accident and people in town should be outraged that the prescription
for improving inefficient and mediocre schools will be forced on them.
The affluence that helps Cape students to out perform others also
provides parents with the option to opt out of public school in Maine
all together, either through private schooling or by taking their
skills, jobs and wealth out of Maine altogether.

    If the system will be forced to be absorbed into a
larger school district, perhaps there is a way to minimize the
potential damage. Perhaps Cape Elizabeth could be allowed to explore
consolidating with other high performing school systems such as
Yarmouth or Falmouth. With modern communication technology is it really
necessary for the schools forming a given district to be neighbors?
Companies operate in all corners of the world, generals in Oman and
Tampa commanded war in Afghanistan– couldn’t a superintendent oversee
schools in the same county?

    Of course Cape and Falmouth or Freeport or whomever
would be accused of elitism, but that is nothing new and if it meant
giving their children the best opportunities to succeed, that would not
be anything new either.

–Ward Peck