Report from the Transition Team

Times Record, June 11, 2007

(excerpts) For the past 18 months, this region has convened a committee to draft a plan to create a new regional model of education for Bath and School Union 47 schools. This committee, the Regional Education Task Force, met frequently for more than 15 months and created a document that supports a new regional system. That work was approved by both the Joint Board of School Union 47 and the Bath Board of Education in unanimous votes and moved the work of the Regional Task Force to the Transition Team for implementation and the writing of necessary legislation to authorize the creation of a new regional school district.

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Briefly, let us summarize the major points of this legislation:

• School Union 47 and Bath public schools will become one regional district, under one board, one superintendent, one central office staff and one budget.
  
  
• The school board will consist of nine equal voting members. There will be new districts/wards formed and each district/ward will comprise at least two communities. These districts/wards will respect the principle of "one person, one vote."
  
  
• The new district will be fully operational by July 2008.
  
  
• We have developed a cost-sharing formula that will lower taxes for all communities and keep state subsidy level for three years.
  
  
• Students will be able to attend the school of their choice if there is space available.
  
  
• We will achieve more than $460,000 in savings in the first year.
  
  
• The budget will be developed by the new board and voted on in a district-wide referendum.
  
  
• All assets will be transferred to the new district. The current debt that the Bath School Department carries will be shared by the new district. This is offset by permitting students in School Union 47 who attend private schools to continue in that placement at the expense of the new regional school district.