By Ward Peck

Editor

    Dozens of school board members, administrators and
others gathered Tuesday at Portland’s Deering High School to gain a
better understanding of the school district consolidation process as
Commissioner of Education Susan Gendron presented the plan and answered
questions.

    The School Administration Reorganization was enacted
on June 7 as part of the state’s two-year budget and takes effect
immediately. The purpose of the law is to reduce school administrative
costs and inefficiencies by cutting the number of school districts and
administrative units from the more than 200 currently in existence to
no more than 80.

    According to Gendron, the state will achieve 80
school units by using state education funds to strongly encourage
school units serving less than 2,500 students to consolidate. The law
contains several exceptions to the minimum size requirement, including
school serving offshore islands, tribal communities and school
districts that can meet both a high-performing standard for learning
results and a highly efficient standard for administration costs.

    Gendron acknowledged that most districts represented
at the Deering High School meeting, including Cape Elizabeth, Gorham,
Scarborough and South Portland already meet the exception criteria, but
made clear that does not mean they will be unaffected by the new law.

    All school districts will be required to submit a
consolidation plan or an alternative plan that outlines steps to reduce
administrative costs. Gendron said all schools that receive more than
the minimum state education subsidy will see reductions in the subsidy
allotment for transportation, operations and maintenance and
administration.

    A significant change for all school systems whether
exempted or not, is a change in law requiring a voter referendum to
approve school budgets. Once a school system’s consolidation plan has
been accepted and approved, its budget process will be governed by new
rules that require citizens to approve or reject a school districts
budget. In exempt municipalities that have elected school boards and
town or city councils, school boards will still submit budgets to the
council for approval.

    Under the new rules, those councils will no longer
have the final say. Once the council approves a school budget, it will
the subject of a public referendum and will take effect only if
approved by a majority of voters.

    If a school budget referendum is rejected, the
budget will be sent back to the school board. If a proposed budget
cannot achieve popular support by the beginning of the fiscal year,
Gendron said the last budget submitted for referendum will be used
until one is approved by voters.

    The responsibility for developing a reorganization
plan or an alternative plan will fall on school boards, Gendron said,
although she encouraged school boards to make sure the public and
municipal officials are part of the planning process.

    All school districts will be required to file with
the Dept. of Education a notice of intent to develop a reorganization
plan or alternative plan by Aug. 31.

    The reorganization plans or alternative plans
themselves must be submitted by Dec. 1. Gendron said school districts
are free to submit their intentions and plans earlier.

    Gendron is required to approve or reject those plans
by Dec. 15. If a plan involves reorganization and is approved by
Gendron, voters within each municipality then must approve it by Jan.
15, 2008 through a referendum. Plans that do not involve consolidation
do not need to go to referendum, Gendron said. All plans approved by
Jan. 15 will take effect on July 1, 2008.

    Plans received by the commissioner or revised after
Dec. 15 or plans rejected by votes will have up to an additional year
before they take effect.

    Gendron said there may be additional state
transition funds for those districts that meet the earlier deadline.