SAD 1 board opts for consolidation alternative

PRESQUE ISLE – SAD 1 officials are opting for an alternative to school consolidation, citing a lack of interest from surrounding school systems and a tax shift that would negatively affect residents.

The SAD 1 board of directors voted on Monday night to file a notice of intent with the Department of Education to put together an alternative plan for a regional school unit that would show efficiencies and cost savings, but would not involve joining up with neighboring school systems.

School officials across the state have until Aug. 31 to file a notice of intent concerning whether they plan to reorganize into a larger unit or reduce costs within their own unit. The deadline is among the first steps in the state’s effort to reorganize Maine’s 152 school systems into about 80 regional school units.

The effort, signed into law in early June, is expected to be complete by July 2009. Once the commissioner reviews the notices of intent, and approves or denies them, school officials will have until Dec. 1 to file their reorganization or alternative plans.

Superintendent Gehrig Johnson told the board on Monday night that local school officials have met during the last month with administrators from the districts surrounding SAD 1 to consider possible partnerships. It seems, though, that nearby districts aren’t clamoring to work with SAD 1.

“When I talk to neighbors, they are looking more to each other than [to] us,” Johnson said.

Another thing he said SAD 1 officials have been looking at is good reasons to merge with other systems.

“I’m having trouble coming up with that data,” the superintendent said.

Charles Anderson, the district’s business administrator, said on Monday night to the board that officials anticipate some tax shifting if they partner with school systems around them. He said that’s because the tax rate for education is lower in SAD 1 than in nearby systems and a redistribution of costs would result in higher taxes.

“It’s clear that RSU 3 would cost SAD 1 a significant amount of tax dollars,” Anderson said.

RSU 3, proposed by the Department of Education, would encompass 18 central Aroostook towns, including: Ashland, Blaine, Bridgewater, Castle Hill, Chapman, Easton, Garfield Plantation, Mapleton, Mars Hill, Masardis, Nashville Plantation, Oxbow Plantation, Perham, Portage Lake, Presque Isle, Wade, Washburn and Westfield.

In comparing a reorganization and an alternative plan, officials also noted that the process to file an alternative plan is much simpler. If the district went in that direction, Johnson said, officials would not have to create a regionalization planning committee or hold a referendum vote on their plan.

With board approval, officials will submit the notice by the end of the month and, if the commissioner approves it, draft a plan to streamline administration and to show cost savings.

Board members asked to receive updates on the plan during the drafting process. They are expected to vote on the document at their November meeting before it is submitted to the state.