Governor’s numbers don’t add up

When Gov. John Baldacci recently introduced his plan to consolidate Maine school districts, he claimed that doing so would allow his administration to provide meaningful property tax relief to Maine citizens.

Unfortunately, something that sounds too good to be true usually is, and that is the case with the governor’s proposal.

The governor’s plan is predicated on the notion that Maine spends too much on education, compared to other states, and that the bulk of that overspending occurs because Maine schools are top-heavy with administrators. By simply cutting the jobs of administrators and consolidating their responsibilities, the governor says, the state can realize nearly $250 million in tax savings.

That projection is simply inaccurate.

To achieve $250 million in savings, the administrators in question would have to be making salaries on a par with some of Wall Street’s highest-paid chief executives. Even then, a savings of that magnitude would be a stretch.

According to the Department of Education, central office administrative costs account for only 4 percent of Maine’s education spending. Even if 25 percent of these costs could be saved, the reduction in Maine’s education cost would be less than 1 percent.

School administrative costs are not the reason why Maine has high property taxes. In truth, Maine’s per-pupil costs are higher because Maine students have smaller classes and a lower student-to-teacher ratio. This is where the bulk of Maine’s education dollars are spent – in the classroom.

The governor and other public officials have an obligation to level with the public when they talk about Maine school systems and reducing Maine’s property taxes.

This is not to say that we cannot achieve greater efficiencies in education. That is a discussion that needs to occur.

If we are serious about improving efficiency in education, we need to establish a process that is based on honest and reliable data, that includes extensive input at the regional and local levels, and that leads to ultimate approval by the voters of each affected community.

The Maine School Boards Association and the Maine School Superintendents Association are ready to work with the governor and the Legislature to design such a process and develop plans that give Maine citizens responsible options for collaboration, regional programs and consolidation.

Kimberly Bedard is the president of Maine School Boards Association and a member of the Kittery school committee. Barry McLaughlin is president of Maine School Superintendents Association and superintendent of schools in Union 107, Woodland-Baileyville.