January school merger vote unlikely for most districts

State House News Service, October 24, 2007

(excerpt) “There probably will be very few votes in January because of the nature of negotiations of the plans. They’re very complex,” Gendron told the Appropriations Committee last week.

The commissioner has never predicted many school districts would be ready to ask for a citizens vote on their consolidation plans in January, saying early last month that perhaps a dozen to 18 would hold votes then. The real issue is whether the uncertainty over what the Legislature will do when it returns will affect the regional school planning process, since key issues like cost sharing among existing districts are still unresolved.

Under law, all districts have to submit some type of plan to the commissioner by Dec. 1, and those that don’t vote in January are supposed to hold votes in June.