Two local school superintendents said this week they agree with a proposal in a report from the state Board of Education to reduce the number of school districts in Maine.

The report, which has just been released by the state, contains a proposal to reduce the number of school districts in the state, from 286 to 35, essentially, aligning the school districts with the state Senate districts.

Westbrook School Superintendent Stan Sawyer said he would favor a plan to reduce the number of districts. “I feel there are too many school districts in the state,” he said.

Although he hasn’t seen the report, Gorham Superintendent Ted Sharp agreed with the report that there should be a reduction in the number of districts in Maine but didn’t know to what number. “I applaud the commission for the work it’s doing,” Sharp said. “I’m glad the report has been written,” Sharp said.

Sawyer said he thought the proposal to cut the number of districts to 35 was too harsh. “I think going to 35 systems in the state, that’s too drastic,” said Sawyer.

If the state were to enact this plan, it would also mean the elimination of some school superintendents and support staff, something Sawyer said would not necessarily be detrimental. “I think there are too many superintendents in the state,” he said.

Jim Hager, chairman of the Gorham School Committee, wondered whether juggling numbers would lead to reduced costs. He said a reduction in the number of superintendents would likely lead to hiring more “middle-level” managers. He would want to see the savings. “I don’t want to shift money from one pocket to another,” Hager said.

If the number of districts were to be reduced, Sharp has a concern about districts becoming too big. “Districts that get too large, I believe, become less efficient and effective in delivering a quality educational program,” Sharp said.

Hager said consolidating schools would likely mean a loss in community pride and identity. “Savings at what cost?” he asked rhetorically. He said reducing school districts in Maine to 35 from 286 would mean an average in Maine of 6,000 students per district exceeding the national average of 3,177.

Sawyer said he would favor a proposal that brought Maine’s school districts closer to that national average. “I think having 3,000 youngsters in a school system makes sense,” said Sawyer. “A population of 3,000 enables a superintendent to really know the staff and a number of the kids as well, and that’s really lost when you get much bigger than that.”

Sharp is an advocate of districts working together to save costs and improve the quality of education. He said resources should be pooled through alliances, and he urged more collaboration among districts. He noted Gorham, Westbrook, Windham, SAD 6 and Raymond already have begun to do that through the formation of the Sebago Alliance.

While Rep. Chris Barstow, D-Gorham, favors maintaining the small school atmosphere, citing community pride, he does favor consolidating administrations. “I would be against consolidating any schools,” Barstow said. “But I’m for reducing administrations and school districts in Maine.”

The report also calls for a move to create one bargaining unit statewide for all teachers and school personnel. Sawyer said he thinks this proposal is a step in the right direction. He said he felt all teachers across the state should be treated the same, and creating one statewide bargaining unit will go a long way towards doing that.

As for the proposal to expand the state’s laptop program to include fifth-graders, Sawyer said he supports that as long as there is money there. “I think it’s great,” he said. “I just hope the state gives everyone the money to do that.”

Sawyer also said he liked the proposal to require teachers to get a master’s degree with financial aid from the state and the school district, but once again was concerned about the cost. “I don’t think that’s a bad idea, but again that’s an expense,” he said. “I think this is a profession where all of us need to continue to learn and grow.”

While he doesn’t agree with everything in the report, Sawyer said he is happy with most of it. “I think it’s an excellent report,” said Sawyer. “It’s long overdue. It’s going to provide the state with a good direction. I hope the vast majority of these proposals are implemented in a timely fashion.”