BANGOR – Superintendent Robert Ervin briefed city officials Monday on the statewide school unit consolidation effort and some of its implications for Bangor.

Unveiled by Gov. John Baldacci in January, the plan aims to reduce the state’s 152 school administrative systems to 80. While systems already serving 2,500 students or more don’t have to consolidate, they must still attempt to find savings.

“You don’t just opt out,” Ervin said during Monday’s workshop. The city cannot tell the state, “We’re big enough, just leave us alone,” he said.

The Bangor School Department, which serves more than 3,800 students, still must examine its administrative structure in an effort to find some savings.

That, Ervin said, isn’t going to be easy.

“This presumes that you’re inefficient,” he said.

Citing the joint purchase of heating fuel and workers’ compensation insurance, Ervin pointed out that many savings had already been accomplished by working together with city officials.

“Most of the efficiencies and savings have been done with you, on the city side,” he said.

In terms of budget areas, “We come up as extremely efficient,” with the exception of special education, he said.

Ervin said he already is working with Alan Kochis, director of business services, to document future savings and efficiencies.

For Bangor, the first consolidation-related deadline is Aug. 31, by which date the school department must file a notice of intent with the state, indicating whether it plans to consolidate with another school system or pursue an alternative plan to find savings, Ervin said.

Either plan then must be submitted by Dec. 1, Ervin said.

An alternative plan would have to address the same reorganization issues that consolidating smaller school units are subject to, including providing reports of demographics, a governance structure, budget, disposition of school property and debt service payment plan.

Ervin said he anticipates that Bangor will submit an alternate plan and that the plan “will be largely a recapitulation of charter, ordinance and policy provisions.”

Ervin told councilors that he plans to offer a recommendation to that end during the school committee’s Aug. 22 meeting.

A third deadline comes up Jan. 15 of next year, when cities and towns would be expected to vote on whether to approve mergers.

After quizzing Ervin about the various deadlines, Councilor Patricia Blanchette, who also represents Bangor in the state Legislature, pointed out that the state’s tight time frame for the consolidation steps have in effect “excluded any absentee ballots.”

She added, “They can’t do that – not according to the election laws of Maine.”

City Clerk Patti Dubois, who also attended Monday’s workshop, concurred.

“You would appear to be correct,” Dubois said.

Blanchette asked whether school or city officials had raised that issue with the Attorney General’s Office or the Secretary of State’s Office.

Dubois said she was meeting with the Secretary of State’s Office staff later this week.

Ervin said more questions remain about the consolidation process and its requirements.

“We haven’t seen the final rollout yet … but we probably will in the coming months,” he said.

He said he would keep city officials apprised of developments as they arise.

“I want you all to know what’s going on, no surprises,” he said.