Most school districts not close to consolidation filings
Morning Sentinel, February 11, 2008
(excerpt) While Falmouth, Cumberland and North Yarmouth won praise from state officials last week for filing the first complete plan under the state's school district consolidation law, it appears many school districts are on the slow track when it comes to filing their plans.
Only a handful of other communities are close to completing their plans. Many school districts have put their plans on hold as they wait to see what changes the Legislature makes to the law. Other school districts have refiled their plans to seek an exemption from consolidation. Meanwhile, school districts face a March 28 deadline for filing their completed plans.
Since early January, the Legislature has been revising the original school district consolidation law passed last year. The joint Educational and Cultural Affairs Committee approved some changes, largely based on recommendations from Education Commissioner Susan Gendron, on Jan. 17.
The proposal would lower minimum enrollment in the new school districts from 1,200 to 1,000 in some cases, allow communities to come up with their own cost-sharing agreements and remove other provisions of the original law that made some mergers financially unworkable. The proposal has since stalled as legislators wrangle over other possible changes to the bill.
(excerpt) While Falmouth, Cumberland and North Yarmouth won praise from state officials last week for filing the first complete plan under the state's school district consolidation law, it appears many school districts are on the slow track when it comes to filing their plans.
Only a handful of other communities are close to completing their plans. Many school districts have put their plans on hold as they wait to see what changes the Legislature makes to the law. Other school districts have refiled their plans to seek an exemption from consolidation. Meanwhile, school districts face a March 28 deadline for filing their completed plans.
Since early January, the Legislature has been revising the original school district consolidation law passed last year. The joint Educational and Cultural Affairs Committee approved some changes, largely based on recommendations from Education Commissioner Susan Gendron, on Jan. 17.
The proposal would lower minimum enrollment in the new school districts from 1,200 to 1,000 in some cases, allow communities to come up with their own cost-sharing agreements and remove other provisions of the original law that made some mergers financially unworkable. The proposal has since stalled as legislators wrangle over other possible changes to the bill.
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