By Ward Peck

Editor

    The South Portland school system will likely remain
an independent entity following the school board’s unanimous decision
directing new School Supt. Suzanne Godin to file a letter of intent
with the State Dept. of Education in line with the new school district
reorganization law.

    Letters of intent must be submitted to State
Education Commissioner Susan Gendron by Aug. 31 and are meant to
indicate whether school districts intend to reorganize by combining
with other districts or remain independent by qualifying for an
exception to the law. South Portland schools qualify for an exception
because it has a student population of more than 2,500. Even though it
qualified for the exception, the district could have pursued a
consolidation with a neighboring district such as Cape Elizabeth.

    Cape Elizabeth qualifies for a different exception
that allows “high performing, highly efficient” school systems to
remain independent. Godin who said she keeps in regular contact with
Cape Elizabeth Supt. Alan Hawkins said Cape Elizabeth will likely opt
to remain independent.

    The purpose of the school district reorganization
law is to create cost efficiencies by combining administrative,
operation, maintenance, transportation and special education services
offered by each school district. The Dept. of Education will cut
subsidies to local school districts in those areas as a way to realize
the cost savings.

    School districts that opt to remain independent are
still expected to cut costs in those areas by sharing services with
other districts by creating a reorganization alternative plan. Godin
told the school board she is currently in communication with Hawkins,
Portland school administrators as will as South Portland municipal
officials to explore ways of combining services. She also pointed to
several special education teacher resignations the school board
accepted earlier in the meeting. Godin said she does not intend on
filling the positions.

    Following the acceptance of the district’s intent to
remain independent, the reorganization or alternative plans must be
filed by Dec. 1.

    Due to its high valuation, South Portland receives
the minimum state subsidy, which only covers a fraction of the
district’s special education needs and receives no assistance in the
other areas that will be cut. 

    The Dept. of Education has devised a number of
penalties to punish districts that don’t reorganize or submit
alternative plans that do not cut costs.

    These include cutting the minimum subsidy and
looking unfavorably on state-funded school construction requests.

    South Portland hopes to receive future state funding
for a proposal to combine its two middle schools in a new building.