THORNDIKE – The SAD 3 board voted unanimously Monday night to seek an exemption from having to consolidate with neighboring school districts as suggested by state legislation.

The 11-town district in western Waldo County qualifies to be considered for such an exemption, board members explained at their meeting, by having more than 1,200 students. SAD 3 has 1,500 students.

The district will seek the exemption under a geographic criterion, since SAD 3 sprawls over 440 square miles.

Earlier this year, as Gov. John Baldacci and the Legislature crafted legislation to essentially force school districts to merge, the Department of Education suggested SAD 3 merge with Belfast-based SAD 34. But over the past few months, SAD 34 and Searsport-based SAD 56 announced their intent to merge.

SAD 3 could have joined those two districts, board members said, but they are wary of a loss of control for the sparsely populated, rural area. Also, since SAD 34 pays its teachers more than SAD 3 does, board members said costs would likely go up in SAD 3 if the merger occurred.

Board member Katherine Eickenberg of Liberty said if SAD 3 joined SADs 34 and 56, SAD 34 residents would hold the most votes in the new district by virtue of having 44 percent of the population, while SAD 3 has 36 percent of the population. Eickenberg and other board members suggested residents of the SAD 3 towns would lose out on decisions about funding schools and programs.

The district faced an Aug. 31 deadline to file its notice of intent with the Department of Education. By mid-September, the district will know if the state has granted the exemption.

Districts face another deadline on Dec. 1, when they must provide a more detailed plan to the state.

Though the SAD 3 board voted not to formally merge with SAD 34 and SAD 56, members and Superintendent Joe Mattos stressed they will seek to share services with the other districts.

Mattos said he and the other superintendents have begun exploring ways to share transportation, maintenance, technology and special education services.

At the same time, SAD 3 will consider sharing functions with the Kennebec Alliance, a group that includes schools in Waterville, Winslow, Oakland, Fairfield and Skowhegan.

“We could have benefits on both ends,” Mattos said.

Board member Helen Sahadi of Thorndike said she supported seeking the exemption, but worried that geography might not be enough of a reason to persuade the state to grant it. She hoped to see a more detailed cost analysis to show the district could be run more efficiently without joining other districts, she said.

“I’m feeling really insecure that we’d have a leg to stand on after tonight,” she said.

Town officials from Unity, Waldo and Liberty attending the meeting expressed similar disappointment that financial projections were not available.

But board chairman Glenn Couturier of Montville said Mattos and his staff did not have time to gather more information, and that the state would not accept such data with the notice of intent.

“The state outlines this process,” Couturier said. “We didn’t do it.”

If the board appeared to be split on seeking an exemption, he would have asked for more research, he said.

“We are going to lose money no matter which way we go with this,” Couturier said, because cuts in administration, transportation, maintenance and special education services are likely to come in state funding.

If the state rejects SAD 3’s exemption bid, there will be no penalty, board members said, and there would be adequate time to join with the other districts.