Gorham is not required to consolidate with another school district because it has more than 2,500 students, but is collaborating to save money.

Superintendent Ted Sharp sent a letter Aug. 29 to Maine Education Commissioner Sue Gendron outlining Gorham’s cost-saving measures. Sharp said Gorham is the founding district of the Sebago Educational Alliance and is dedicated to expand collaborative efforts. Partners in the alliance with Gorham are School Administrative District 6 (Bonny Eagle), Westbrook, Windham and Raymond.

“Please be advised that we will exercise due diligence in our attempts to achieve administrative and operational efficiencies in each of the 11 cost centers now prescribed by this law, particularly in the area of system-wide administration, special education, transportation and facilities maintenance,” Sharp wrote.

Sharp said in the letter the alliance, in partnership with the Maine Humanities Council, had received an $880,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support a three-year program called “Teaching American History Through Biography.” Sharp said it enabled 75 teachers to participate in a weeklong summer residency, which began two years ago, at Bowdoin College.

Sharp also pointed to an alliance program at Little Falls School in Gorham to help educate troubled and needy students. “This program will provide high quality services to these students at a significantly reduced tuition as compared with the tuition required by outside, private placement institutions,” Sharp wrote.

Jim Hager, chairman of the Gorham School Committee, reported last month to the Gorham Town Council that the committee had voted to remain an independent school district. The council unanimously, 7-0, endorsed the school committee’s decision.