PRESQUE ISLE – Education Commissioner Susan Gendron acknowledged in a meeting here last week that school districts in Aroostook County and throughout the state are facing tough decisions as they work to adhere to the school consolidation law.

Gendron spoke for more than an hour during a meeting of the Aroostook Municipal Association at the Northeastland Hotel, which was attended by school and municipal officials and local legislators.

Gendron urged those attending the AMA meeting Thursday evening to stay the course despite the challenges, and she expressed confidence that County officials and community members who are working toward regionalization would be successful.

During a question-and-answer period, some attendees told Gendron that in their communities, they are dealing with issues such as a fear of a loss of local control and the fear that their school districts will not end up saving money under the plan in the long run. Some meeting attendees currently serving on the regional planning committees – which are working to implement the school consolidation law – noted that the groups are struggling to make decisions about governance, representation, assets and teacher contracts.

Gendron said she had heard similar concerns from other community leaders.

“I know you are struggling in some places, and in others it is coming together well,” said Gendron, who acknowledged that issues related to cost sharing and governing structure have been particularly vexing for regional planning committees. “I have seen it all over the state.”

Gendron told the group that changes were slated to occur to the law if LD 1932 is passed by the Legislature. The commissioner said the DOE’s proposed legislation would eliminate unintended financial barriers to school reorganization.

The bill, titled “An Act to Amend the Laws Regarding School Funding,” would ease the impact of cost-shifting in the new regional school units by allowing RSU members to develop their own cost-sharing agreements. It would remove a requirement for all towns to raise a minimum of 2 mills toward the cost of education and would restore state aid to “minimum receiving towns,” which, under the existing law, could have lost that subsidy when they merged with other towns.

Gendron also fielded questions about state aid for education. At this point, the state is facing a massive budget shortfall and the Department of Education has been asked to find ways to reduce its own costs. Gendron was asked how that would affect state aid for education to local cities and towns.

The Legislature is struggling with a supplemental budget that was submitted by Gov. John Baldacci in January. While it proposes $95 million in spending cuts, legislators have since been told to anticipate an additional $99 million in cuts because of lower-than-expected state revenues. A final figure is expected to be determined this week.

The DOE has been asked to make about $47 million in cuts. Gendron said the DOE would be notifying individual school districts of their state education allotments in the coming weeks. She added that the DOE was awaiting recommendations from the Legislature’s Education Committee before sending school districts the figures.

She acknowledged, however, that tough times are ahead.

“There is very little new money to disburse for education,” she said.

jlbdn@ainop.com

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