Districts weigh regional center for special ed

Portland Press Herald, March 19, 2007

(excerpt) A collection of southern Maine school districts hopes to meet the needs of students with developmental disorders better by establishing a regional treatment center.

Students from towns such as Gorham, Windham, Raymond and Standish would take part in the program, which would be tailored to their needs and keep them closer to home.

The program would operate at the former Little Falls School in North Gorham starting this fall. About 20 students in grades 5-8 would be in the first class, with more to follow in the next several years.

The project is a new initiative by the Sebago Alliance, a nonprofit education collaborative made up of Gorham, Westbrook, Windham, Raymond and School Administrative District 6, which includes Standish, Buxton, Hollis, Limington and Frye Island.

At a time when the state is looking for savings through regionalization and consolidation of government services, alliance members say their organization has yielded real benefits.