Education Efficiency

It is ironic that while many lawmakers in Augusta are working to kill a bill aimed at encouraging school consolidation, education officials from across the state are clamoring for state help to do the very thing their elected representatives are trying to save them from.

Rep. Stephen Bowen, a teacher and Rockport Republican who opposes the bill because he says it espouses an unproven “bigger is better” philosophy, should talk to his district’s superintendent. Speaking of regional cooperation and consolidation, Patricia Hopkins, who oversees schools in Appleton, Hope, Lincolnville, Camden and Rockport, said: “I just think it’s the right thing to do to save money and to really maximize efficiency.”

There are such conflicting reactions to LD 1921 because many people are misinterpreting its intentions. Far from telling districts that they must close small schools, the bill simply aims to encourage schools and school districts to work together to find efficiencies, whether that means buying supplies together or consolidating schools.

When senators return to Augusta next week, they should do a more reasoned review of the bill than did their counterparts in the House, who voted 76-53 to defeat the bill last week.

Defeating this bill will not change the demographic reality facing Maine schools. By 2012, Maine schools are predicted to have 30,000 fewer students than they do today. If efficiencies are not found, that means the per-student cost of education will continue to rise rapidly. That means higher property taxes and more dissatisfaction with government, both at the state and local level.

Instead of being criticized for attacking small schools, the governor and the panel that helped craft the legislation should be applauded for seeing what is coming and trying to help Maine school districts prepare for it. School districts clearly appreciate the help. The Department of Education reports that more than 40 school systems throughout the state are looking into sharing programs and services with their neighbors. These collaborative efforts range from school districts buying fuel oil together to offering vocational and special education together.

LD 1921 requires that a review panel report back to the Legislature in five years on how such cooperative efforts are working. Given the current enthusiasm demonstrated by school districts, proponents of this legislation should consider moving the report date up, say to two years, to show naysayers that cooperation and consolidation can save money without closing schools or minimizing community control, if this is what the evidence shows.

One concern raised by lawmakers was that the financial incentives offered in the bill would drain money away from General Purpose Aid to Education. To allay those fears, the governor has said he will amend the bill to reduce the incentives from $5 million to $1 million. Even without this money, there are incentives for districts to share services and they are already doing so.

“We’ll save money anyway,” said Emil Genest, assistant superintendent of SAD 22 in the Hampden area. His district is seeking to form a regional cooperative with neighboring districts to pay bills, contract for transportation and provide programs for students to meet Maine’s Learning Results.

With such sentiments from those providing the education, lawmakers should not hold up work that is already going on. They should encourage it and passing LD 1921 would be a good start.