Schools learn whether RSU plans approved Formal letters mailed as worktoward consolidation continues

AUGUSTA – The Department of Education has notified local school officials whether their reorganization plans meet the requirements of the law.

The department mailed formal letters on Thursday to each of the state’s 290 school units, all of which had filed plans. About 80 percent of them filed at least one plan that met the law’s requirements, according to Education Commissioner Susan Gendron. She did not have exact numbers nor did she specify which units submitted plans that failed to meet the legal requirements.

During a press conference with Gov. John Baldacci at Westbrook High School, Gendron said the plans would reduce the number of school units in Maine to about 75.

Information on the department’s Web site indicated Gendron’s office sent out 356 letters of response to school districts, one for each proposal for consolidation. Some districts submitted multiple proposals.

Of the department’s responses, 60 percent were letters indicating compliance, 29 percent were for plans that did not comply with the mandate and the remainder were letters indicating that the districts complied with the law, but the department questioned the plan’s sustainability or acknowledged other plans would be forthcoming or encouraged more refinement.

For those that complied with the law and reorganized into Regional School Units with a minimum of 2,500 students, or in special geographic isolation cases 1,200 students, the next step is to begin crafting a school management plan that can be brought to their region’s voters in January. The RSUs must submit their reorganization management plan to the department by Dec. 1.

Offshore islands and tribal schools are not subject to the minimum size requirement.

“We are encouraged by the good work that has gone on. The time line has been short, and we know it has been a struggle for some,” department administrator James Rier said Thursday. “Beginning with the letters we sent out today, the next step is to go back to work in the areas that we need to.”

For those districts that failed to comply, the department indicated that it will continue to work with them and in some cases provide facilitators to help them meet the requirements of the law.

“We will be working with those units that did not comply with the law,” Rier said. “In some cases it’s not that difficult, and in other cases there needs to be some more work. We are confident that we can get them into compliance.”

Rier said that some of the proposals that were rejected by the department had to do with financial issues, while others had to do with the size of the proposed RSU or its inability to find partners with which to reorganize. He said there were also issues with proposals where minimum-subsidy communities attempted to reorganize with communities that received a greater subsidy. Those communities would have automatically lost their subsidy by joining with a minimum-subsidy district.

“The law also provides the opportunity for units that did not comply but continue to work together to be granted more time,” he said.

He noted that many school districts filed more than one reorganization plan and that the department had yet to compile a town-by-town breakdown of those districts that were in compliance and those that were not.

The law was designed to save $36.5 million in school costs by reorganizing the state’s 290 school units into 80 RSUs. Rier said the letters of intent indicate that the department will meet that goal. Under the law, cost savings will be realized by consolidating administrative functions into larger units. The law also requires RSUs to cut their special education, transportation and maintenance costs by 5 percent.

The reorganization law was not designed to close schools. Local schools can only be closed if the regional school board votes by a two-thirds vote and the municipality where the school is located votes to approve closure. If the municipality votes not to close the school that the regional school voted to close, it would have to be responsible for the added cost of keeping the school open.

The complete list of letters of response to the notices of intent are posted on the Department of Education’s Web site at www.maine.gov/education/supportingschools/index.html.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.