School administrative units meet deadline

    “Throughout the state, we are finding the conversations shifting from strictly finances to an exploration of the educational opportunities,” said Education Commissioner Susan A. Gendron. “Potential partners are looking at each other’s strengths and having positive conversations about the opportunities that can be created for kids – that’s what this is about – creating the best educational opportunities for students, and using our limited financial resources in the best way possible to support that.”
    The purpose of the School Administrative Reorganization law is to ensure that schools be organized as units in order to provide equitable educational opportunities, rigorous academic programs, uniformity in delivering programs, a greater uniformity in tax rates, more efficient and effective use of limited resources, preservation of school choice, and maximum opportunity to deliver services in an efficient manner.
    Recognizing that the financial picture of the plan is complex, Gendron said the Department has offered and will continue to offer guidance to school units on understanding them. Ultimately, she said, it’s up to school units to be creative and find ways to make the finances work.
    “You can use the finances to find ways to say ‘no,’ or you can say – as so many units have – this is the right thing to do to create opportunities for our students and find ways to make the finances work,” she said. “I am very encouraged by the work that’s been done to date and the groundwork it has laid for the work ahead.”
    In central Aroostook County, the filing plans are as follows:
    • SAD 1 (Presque Isle, Mapleton, Westfield, Chapman and Castle Hill) – Alternative.
    • SAD 32 (Ashland, Oxbow, Portage, Garfield and Masardis) – Alternative due to geographic isolation.
    • SAD 20 (Fort Fairfield) – 5 Options: 1) Caribou/Limestone/Caswell/SAD 20. 2) Option 1 plus New Sweden/Stockholm/Westmanland/Woodland. 3) Option 2 plus SAD 45. 4) SAD 20/SAD 45/SAD 42/Easton/Bridgewater. 5) SAD 20/Bridgewater/SAD 42/Easton.
    • SAD 45 (Washburn, Wade and Perham) – 3 Options: 1) SAD 45/SAD 42/SAD 20/Easton/Bridgewater. 2) SAD 45/SAD 42/Easton/Bridgewater. 3) SAD 20/SAD 45/Caribou/Union 122/Caswell/Limestone.
    • SAD 42 (Mars Hill, Blaine) – 4 Options: 1) SAD 42/Bridgewater/SAD 29. 2) SAD 42/Bridgewater/Easton/SAD 45. 3) SAD 42/Bridgewater/Easton/SAD 20. 4) SAD 42/Bridgewater/Easton/SAD 20/SAD 45.
    • Easton – 3 Options: 1) Easton/SAD 42/Bridgewater/SAD 45/SAD 20. 2) Easton/SAD 42 Bridgewater/SAD 20. 3) Easton/SAD 42/Bridgewater/SAD 45.
    • Bridgewater – 2 Options: 1) Bridgewater/SAD 42/Easton/SAD 20. 2) Bridgewater/SAD 29.
    “All school units, of whatever form and whatever size – SADs, CSDs and municipal school units, small and large, must work with other units to reorganize into larger, more efficient units,” said Gendron. “Existing school units should aim to form regional school units of at least 2,500 resident students, except where geography, demographics, population density, transportation challenges and other obstacles make 2,500 impractical. Where 2,500 is impractical, the units must aim to create units of at least 1,200 students.”
    While there are no automatic exemptions, Gendron said there are exceptions from consolidation.
    “With the ‘doughnut hole’ exception, school administrative units (SAUs) exercising due diligence with respect to consolidation but experiencing rejection by all other surrounding districts to be included in consolidation will not be penalized if their plan documents efforts to consolidate and the plan includes alternative ways of meeting efficiencies,” she said.
    “[In addition] school units whose reported 2005-06 per-pupil expenditures for system administrative costs are less than 4 percent of total per-pupil expenditures and who have at least three ‘higher performing’ schools, as defined in the May 2007 Maine Education Policy Research Institute report, ‘The Identification of Higher and Lower Performing Maine Schools’ are exempt from consolidation,” said Gendron, “but are still required to submit a plan to meet efficiencies.”
    Gendron said that school units that vote against reorganization will face financial penalties starting July 1, 2009. Penalties include a 50 percent reduction in minimum subsidy, a 50 percent reduction in system administration funds, less favorable consideration in approval and funding for school construction, and loss of eligibility for transition adjustments.
    In addition, the percentage of state subsidy for a unit that votes against reorganization will not increase to the highest level as called for in the four-year “ramp up” of state funding for education. The percentage of state General Purpose Aid for units that vote against reorganizing will be consistent with a statewide average contribution of 53.86 percent instead of the 55 percent overall state share. The net effect will be that those units that choose not to reorganize will be subject to an incrementally higher local contribution (mill rate) than those who do reorganize.
    More details of the Reorganization Law and planning and resources information can be found online at www.maine.gov/education (click on the School Administrative Reorganization logo).
    Gendron has said she will reply to all units by Sept. 14 as to whether their Notices of Intent comply with the law and, if not, with specific information about why they do not and suggestions for bringing them into compliance.