Keith Ober, a 28-year veteran school administrator, may not seem like much of a revolutionary. But, as the first superintendent for both Millinocket and Union 113 (East Millinocket, Medway and Woodville), he’s walking into new territory for Maine, or at least territory that has not been visited for a generation or more. Until Mr. Ober was hired this summer, the two districts each had their own superintendents and administrative staffs. Now, Mr. Ober is doing novel things like hiring one guidance counselor to work for both districts and holding joint staff meetings so personnel from the neighboring, but until recently, rival, districts can get to know one another.

None of this would be remarkable if it happened more often. But, consolidation – and even cooperation – is a relatively new phenomenon in Maine. It is one that must be practiced more often. The high schools in Machias, Lubec, Eastport, Harrington and Jonesport are to be commended for using two-way video to share classes and teacher training. The towns of Dexter, Dover-Foxcroft, Guilford and Milo should be congratulated for considering a regional high school. While such efforts should continue, the current piecemeal approach to consolidation will not solve the larger problem. With 286 school boards and 151 superintendents, it is clear that Maine has too many schools and school districts.

Recent studies have shown that Maine’s school administrative costs are higher than the national average, resulting in teacher salaries to be low and local taxes high. Maine spends $7,595 per pupil, ranking the state 13 nationally. The pay for new teachers, however, is 48th in the nation. At the same time, general administration costs in Maine are 7.6 percent higher than the national average.

Gov. John Baldacci has begun to address the problem by creating a task force to review the efficiency of the state’s K-12 education system. The panel’s interim report reiterated that there is too much school administration. Education Commissioner Sue Gendron was right to begin tackling the issue by talking to communities about the benefits of consolidation, but leaving the decision about merging services to them.

It is encouraging that more and more communities are getting the message, but consolidation should not be seriously discussed only when districts, like those in the Millinocket region, face economic crisis. It should be on the agenda even for those communities that can, at least for now, afford the duplication. It is a question of a wise use of dollars and it is becoming increasingly clear that money spent on unnecessary administration is hurting students and teachers.

All this means that more school administrators need to follow Mr. Ober and that Maine should expect the governor’s panel to provide a thoughtful map to make doing so easier.