Education head grilled by officials

Kennebec Journal, June 19, 2007

(excerpt) Many superintendents and school board members at the first of 26 planned statewide informational meetings on consolidation grilled Education Commissioner Susan Gendron about the details of just how they are supposed to comply with a recently passed state law aimed at cutting the number of school districts in the state from 290 to just 80 by 2009.

They wanted to know where the projected $36.5 million in savings would come from, what kind of help they'll get from the state, how they will merge different curricula into one, and whether or not their students could still choose from more than one school under the new system.

But others had a different kind of question to ask: What if we can't, or don't, consolidate with anyone?

"What if you're the ugly stepsister, and nobody wants to join you?" asked School Administrative District 11 Superintendent Paul Knowles.

Gendron responded that districts that don't immediately find partners still need to form regional planning committees and continue looking for partners. And department facilitators will be available to help those efforts.