Consolidation timetable

2007

Before mid July – Districts must develop consolidation committees consisting of officials from school and town boards and the public, including business people.

Aug. 31 – Districts must submit letters of intent to the Maine Department of Education outlining how they expect to reorganize and with what communities. If an existing community meets certain requirements, it may submit an alternative plan to stand alone. Districts may submit a letter of intent that includes more than one plan.

Dec. 1 – School units must submit specific reorganization plans to the department, developed through the reorganization committee.

Dec. 15 – The department will notify school units of approval of reorganization plans, or if the plans do not meet requirements, the department will give suggestions on how to meet the requirements.

2008

Jan. 15 – The latest date for communities with approved reorganization plans to hold referendums for public approval of the plans. Communities that were required to resubmit their reorganization plans have until June 10 to hold a referendum.

July 1 – Suggested start date for implementation of reorganization plans for communities who approved their plans by Jan. 15.

Nov. 4 – Last date for communities to approve a consolidation plan by referendum if previous referendums failed. Communities who have not approved a plan by Nov. 4 will suffer state funding penalties.

2009

July 9 – Last possible start date for implementation of reorganization for communities that did not approve their plans until the Nov. 4 date.

– Source: Maine Department of Education

Westbrook Superintendent Stan Sawyer disclosed this week that he is meeting with another district’s superintendent to discuss school consolidation.

Sawyer would not name the superintendent, saying that no meeting has yet occurred and it is unknown what plans may arise from the discussions, if any.

“It’s so preliminary that to discuss it wouldn’t serve any purpose at all,” Sawyer said Wednesday morning. “It may never, never materialize.”

But, he added, “I’m such a strong believer in trying to consolidate as many functions as possible … that I think this is a prime opportunity to explore all different aspects of that,” he said.

Sawyer indicated last week that Westbrook is likely to stand alone as a school district, and any consolidation plans designed to save money would probably include sharing services with the city. With more than 2,500 students, Westbrook is not required to consolidate.

On Wednesday, Sawyer said he had spoken with Westbrook Mayor Bruce Chuluda about consolidation plans with the city itself, but that all options are on the table.

Sawyer also said his meeting with the unidentified community’s superintendent, which was originally supposed to be held this week, has been pushed back because of a scheduling conflict.

Few other local officials know of the conversations, and none who do will release details. Sawyer also said only a couple others know of the talks, and he isn’t sure if the other community’s school board knows. He said he isn’t trying to hide information, and that he will release details if and when something meaningful comes from the conversations.

Sawyer’s intentions came to light Monday at a state-sponsored school consolidation forum at Westbrook High School. Jim Rier, the Maine Department of Education’s director of finance and operation, was hosting when Sawyer asked him how to go about submitting the district’s intent to reorganize if it is considering two options – standing alone, as Westbrook can do because it meets minimum size requirements, or consolidating with another community.

Westbrook has already begun a collaboration by joining the Sebago Alliance – which also includes Gorham, Windham, Raymond and School Administrative District 6 – to share services for special education. Special-needs students will be sent to Little Falls school in Gorham.

Historically, Westbrook has shared a superintendent with Gorham. In 1956 the schools split by municipality.

The state’s education department has issued maps indicating suggested reorganization models. The goal is to reduce nearly 300 school districts to under 80. The state is suggesting Westbrook stands alone, as well as Portland, Gorham and Scarborough. It suggests Windham should consolidate with Raymond, Falmouth with Cumberland and North Yarmouth, and South Portland with Cape Elizabeth – though Cape Elizabeth is expected to seek an exception to consolidation laws because it is a “high performing school.” SAD 6 – the largest school district in the state – is expected to remain the same.

On June 7, Maine’s new school reorganization plan became law in a 61-page document detailing the requirements for local school districts and benchmark dates. The state is in the midst of holding 26 public hearings on the new law, which conclude at the end of this week. Monday’s meeting at Westbrook High School was the 19th such meeting. Some 30 people showed up for the session, including Sawyer, School Committee Chairwoman Colleen Hilton, School Vice Chairman Greg Smith and City Councilor Michael Foley.

Rier gave a PowerPoint presentation on the reorganization law, which is available on the education department’s Web site (maine.gov/education), and answered questions from the public.

School districts with more than 2,500 students are not required to consolidate with other communities, but must submit plans just like consolidating communities that outline where cuts are to be made. The state has created funding formulas that reduce allocations to certain departments of school districts, which include system administration, transportation, maintenance and special education. The districts are expected to cut their expenditures in each of those areas by approximately 5 percent without affecting student education programs. If a district is not consolidating, it still must find these cost reductions.

Other exceptions include districts with geography or other conditions that would make consolidation ineffective or incompatible with the new law. These districts can never be less than 1,200 students. So-called “doughnut hole” scenarios – where a district is surrounded by consolidated units that it cannot practically join – are also allowed exceptions, as are high- performing and high-efficiency districts that meet certain requirements. These requirements are as yet unclear, though the state is working to flesh them out in the coming months.

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