Stop the Runaway Train

Ellsworth American, April 11, 2007

(excerpt) Some weeks ago, we urged in these columns that the Legislature give consideration to a plan, advanced by teacher and former legislator Stephen L. Bowen, that has the potential for substantial monetary savings through the creation of Education Service Districts, an approach that already is proving its worth in several other states. The plan would involve none of the upheaval that is part and parcel of the Governor’s deeply flawed approach.

But right now, the Legislature, intimidated by the need to achieve a balanced budget, is running scared. The Appropriations Committee, which shouldn’t even be dealing with education matters, is scurrying around trying to assemble a proposal calling for no more than 80 school districts — each with at least 2,500 students unless an exception is made — and, presumably, a like number of superintendents. All of this is going to happen in a period of three or four months, with little or no public involvement. Meanwhile, superintendents, teachers and school boards remain on edge with little idea what the future holds in store for them or their school systems.

Change can be a good thing, but bigger is not always better. And so far, the school restructuring debate in Augusta is being driven far more by short-term financial considerations than by long-term educational implications. As a first step, the Appropriations Committee should return the budget to the Governor with instructions that he cover any shortfall by making cuts to real, existing programs, not by booking imaginary savings that might or might not be attainable.

Separating the school restructuring issue from the budget deliberations would allow time to develop — with appropriate public input — a well-reasoned and sound proposal to streamline school administration in Maine while maintaining the quality educational programs that already are being provided in most of our schools.