State to assign facilitator on possible high school regionalization

GUILFORD – The commissioner of education has agreed to assign a facilitator to work with superintendents in SAD 4, 46, 41, and 68 on possible regionalization or consolidation efforts.

These superintendents and their respective boards have made initial discussions on ways to collaboratively provide quality education with declining dollars, including the possibility of a regional high school. What has been gleamed from these discussions is that each school district has its own unique circumstances, according to SAD 4 Superintendent Paul Stearns.

The facilitator, who will be appointed by Commissioner Susan Gendron by mid-October, will be someone skilled in organizing these kinds of discussions, according to SAD 68 Superintendent John Dirnbauer. He said the facilitator will not give solutions, but will help school and town officials develop some common understanding of the issues.

Stearns said the facilitator will provide solid information to school and town officials, including data, facts, and the pros and cons of any possible regionalization efforts. That person initially will work with the superintendents and the board chairmen, followed by work with the four school boards, municipal and economic development officials, and later with the public.

“Rather than sit back and have a [school] building dilapidate and the state say ‘we’re not going to fund the project because you haven’t explored your options,’ we’ve decided to be proactive and find out what all the options are,” Stearns said. People should not read into these discussions as if it is the beginning of one regional high school; it is not, he said. Rather, it is an effort to study all options available with the best interests of students and student achievement in mind.