Gendron cautions towns on forming K-8 system

GLENBURN – A big white elephant sat in the corner of the Glenburn Elementary School cafeteria as members of a dozen communities with kindergarten through grade eight school systems discussed the new school consolidation law and forming a regional school unit.

The mammoth-sized issue on how to form a K-8 RSU without a high school – though one is required by the reorganization law – was skirted throughout the two-plus hour meeting on Thursday. But at the end of the session, the guest of honor – education Commissioner Susan Gendron – warned the group of future hurdles.

“I will caution you that you’re heading down a path that is going to be difficult to proceed,” she said. “Based on what I’ve seen, I’m not sure you can do it.”

Gendron explained that a K-8 RSU would require contracts with one or more high schools in order to be approved. She said her warning to the group was based on correspondence she has received from area high schools indicating such contracts were unlikely.

Maine’s new school consolidation reorganization law, which passed with the state budget in June, requires that school units reorganize into larger, more efficient systems.

The K-8 school consolidation committee is made up of town officials, school board members, residents and school staff from Glenburn, Orrington, Dedham, Milford, SAD 63 and CSD 8. SAD 63 is comprised of Holden, Eddington and Clifton, and CSD 8 contains Amherst, Aurora, Great Pond and Osborn.

The group may be the only one in the state proposing such a K-8 RSU.

The state has suggested that Brewer, which has a high school, join with all of the above communities, minus Glenburn and Milford, to create a district called RSU 15.

Bangor, with more than 3,000 students, has indicated that it will be a stand-alone system.

The state is requiring each RSU to have a public or publicly-supported high school, but allows the high school to be located outside the RSU.

“It says the plan must provide comprehensive programs for all students K-12 and must include one publicly supported secondary school,” Gendron said. “Our data shows that when there is not a strong link to high schools, our K-8 youngsters are not performing as strong as our systems that are K-12.”

The key component is that all students, including those in special education and alternative education, have services.

“You cannot, at this point, show an exclusive contract,” Gendron said to the group. “You have to be able to document all kids are served.”

“It’s not expected that all your kids are going to one high school,” Gendron said later.

Ron Tewhey, Glenburn Town Council chairman, said the problem is obtaining contracts.

“Two of the high schools have already said they will not sign an RSU” contract, he said, referring to Bangor and Brewer.

Glenburn School Board member Lauren Romaine said the fact that contracts have never been needed before may be behind the hesitancy.

At the end of the meeting, Romaine indicated that she still supports a local K-8 RSU.

“We represent 3,000 kids,” she said of the group. “The only sticking point is contracts.”

The committee plans to meet again in two weeks to continue discussions.