Panel to offer toned-down schools plan

Portland Press Herald, March 8, 2007

(excerpt) While the governor's plan would be mandatory, the committee would let voters in each existing school district decide whether to consolidate into a larger district.

The committee's version would create 26 "planning alliances," or task forces, which like the governor's 26 regional districts would be set up according to the boundaries of the state's career vocational centers.

The alliances would then spend the next year looking at ways for existing school districts to collaborate to save costs on payroll, transportation and other school administrative services. The groups would spend that time setting up a plan to allow school districts in the regional alliance to consolidate by coming under one school administrative unit.

Membership in the alliances would include two governor appointees, and municipal and school board officials from each existing school district who would also appoint four at-large members.

Voters in each existing school district would have to approve any consolidation. Each new regional district would have a minimum of 1,200 students, with exceptions for geographically isolated regions. Consolidations that were approved would go into effect in 2010.