Rural schools fight merger plan
Morning Sentinel, November 8, 2007
(excerpt) An effort to repeal the state's school consolidation law by petition is getting strong support in rural areas, where many worry it will mean the closure of beloved educational institutions.
Passed earlier this year, the law requires school systems to meet an aggressive timeline to form school districts of at least 2,500 students by July of 2009, although 1,200 students, or even less, is acceptable in some circumstances, including geographic isolation.
Where there is plenty of grumbling about the law from school districts of every size, support for the effort to repeal the law seems strongest in rural areas where even some superintendents publicly support it.
Lawrence "Skip" Greenlaw, chairman of the Maine Coalition to Save Schools, said the petition effort is getting "incredible support" from rural school board members and superintendents who fear the law will mean the eventual closure of beloved community schools.
(excerpt) An effort to repeal the state's school consolidation law by petition is getting strong support in rural areas, where many worry it will mean the closure of beloved educational institutions.
Passed earlier this year, the law requires school systems to meet an aggressive timeline to form school districts of at least 2,500 students by July of 2009, although 1,200 students, or even less, is acceptable in some circumstances, including geographic isolation.
Where there is plenty of grumbling about the law from school districts of every size, support for the effort to repeal the law seems strongest in rural areas where even some superintendents publicly support it.
Lawrence "Skip" Greenlaw, chairman of the Maine Coalition to Save Schools, said the petition effort is getting "incredible support" from rural school board members and superintendents who fear the law will mean the eventual closure of beloved community schools.
1 Comments:
The problem for superintendents and school boards is that they have to craft an argument for repeal that cannot be viewed as self serving.
For example, they need to admit that real cost savings can be accomplished without consolidation; and the public has heard them profess for years that there is nothing left to trim.
What is the truth?
Education, corrections, public safety, highways, welfare are all competing for scarcer funding.
Large amounts of funds are being poured into these budgets, and we see little of it coming out of the small end of the funnel.
Where is it leaching out?
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