Official: Solo plan won't fly

Kennebec Journal, August 25, 2007

(excerpt) The state will reject the Augusta Board of Education's decision not to consolidate with neighboring communities because it is based on inaccurate data, a Department of Education spokesman said Friday.

David Connerty-Marin said State Education Commissioner Susan Gendron is asking Augusta to revisit the data it used before it voted unanimously Wednesday against consolidation.

"Certainly, if you're going to reject it based on an inaccurate analysis, that's not going to work," he said.

Augusta Schools Superintendent Cornelia Brown said she had not been able to reach anyone at the state to find out why they dispute the numbers.

"I don't know how they are arriving at another figure," she said.