Goodbye and Hello and Thanks!

By the lack of activity here you knew that something was up.

After about a year and a half and 460 posts, we're retiring "Articles"

This blog began on January 8, 2008 and ran until June 19, 2008. In that time we posted an average of more than 6 articles weekly. We had 2863 page loads, far fewer than our sister site, "Voters", which had 43,054 page loads over a period of two years.

Nevertheless, "Articles" was a helpful (we hope) current awareness tool.

As is the way in this world, our attention has turned in other directions.

Mel is continuing to blog, and continuing to blog about education, though with a somewhat different focus. You can see what he's up to over at DowneastSchoolhouse.com.

Thanks to all our loyal readers, for your time and your attention and your efforts to improve education in our communities.

The Editor’s Two Cents

SVWeekly.com, June 12, 2008

(excerpt) That was the case at one area high school this year when a handful of seniors was denied the right to march with graduates. The school has yet to confirm or deny the report. Students were told diplomas would be mailed, but they would not march. To my knowledge, these were not students who had misbehaved, but simply would be granted diplomas for the length of time they spent at school; just short of the right credits to graduate, but apparently worthy enough to graduate. Someone wasn’t watching for “no child left behind” and no one noticed until it was too late that the proper credits weren’t achieved. Still they could graduate…but without the good memories. A quiet miss-step…overlooked and passed aside, but a sad habit of administrators everywhere looking only to move on and beyond errors that might mar the record.

SAD 59 open to merger talks

Morning Sentinel, June 18, 2008

(excerpt) The SAD 59 school board Monday night voted to ask the neighboring Anson and Bingham school districts to explore collaboration for a possible combined regional school unit, school officials said Tuesday.

"The board elected to have (Superintendent) Michael Gallagher talk to SAD 74 and SAD 13 boards to see if they want to sign a notice of intent with us," SAD 59 school board Vice Chairman Troy Emery said Tuesday.

Emery also is chairman of the SAD 59 Reorganization Planning Committee. "And if they say yes," Emery continued. "We'll sit down with them, with the financial templates from the Department of Education and try to make this work.

"If they say no, then the board needs to have more discussion on what 59's next step will be."

Any consolidation into a Regional School Unit (RSU) would also include SAD 53 in Pittsfield.

Emery said it is too early to even discuss the prospect of closing one of the high schools in either SAD 74, 13 or 59 as part of the reorganization plan, once and if it is hatched.

Monday's unanimous SAD 59 board vote comes on the heels of the defeat June 10 of formal consolidation with the Pittsfield district.

Education Department praises budget votes

Bangor Daily News, June 13, 2008

(excerpt) After reviewing a sample of Tuesday's election results, the Department of Education is satisfied that the new school budget validation process is working.

Communications Director David Connerty-Marin said the two-step approval process appeared to have worked smoothly and brought about the results the department was hoping for.

Connerty-Marin emphasized, however, that the department's opinion was based entirely on election results culled from newspaper articles. Of the 50 school districts that the department found reports on, residents in six of them voted against the proposed budgets. Despite that 12 percent rejection, Connerty-Marin said, the process was successful.

"I think it's been a success because more people than ever have been involved in the process," Connerty-Marin said Thursday. "The fact that some budgets have failed shows that there is greater participation in the process and that the voters are paying attention. Whatever is happening is good because the people are weighing in."

The two-step budget validation process was approved by the Legislature as part of the school consolidation law that called for shrinking the state's 290 school districts into about 80 regional school unions. Communities across the state are in the process of consolidating into RSUs in hopes of meeting the June 2009 deadline.

The two-step process mandated that every school district in the state use the same budget approval method. It required that the budget must first be reviewed and passed at a public district budget meeting — or, in the case of a municipality-controlled school system, at a public hearing — and then validated at the polls. Most of the budget meetings took place last month, followed by the validations on Tuesday.

Lubec voters nix school budget

Bangor Daily News, June 12, 2008

(excerpt) The school board has to redo the proposed school budget after it was defeated Tuesday 144-136.

It has been a slippery slope for the school budget process. Lubec, like other communities in the state, took a major hit in its state school subsidy. The town's state aid went from $728,000 to $433,000.

School board members were faced with a dilemma: cut the budget or pass the increases on to property taxpayers.

When the school budget was first presented at a public meeting earlier this year, it looked as if the school board was trying to push through a nearly 21 percent increase from last year. Although most who spoke said they favored the increase, the majority of people who attended were silent.

The next day, school board Vice Chairwoman Diana Wilson, with help from school administrators, reduced the budget to an 11 percent increase from last year.

SAD 53/59 consolidation fails

Morning Sentinel (update), June 11, 2008

(excerpt) A negative vote in Madison spelled failure Tuesday for consolidation between School Administrative Districts 53 of Pittsfield and 59 of Madison.

While the three SAD 53 towns gave solid approval to the plan, the SAD 59 vote means that school officials must renew their efforts. School districts with fewer than 1,200 students must consolidate by January, or the state will reduce their funding.

Though the other three SAD 59 towns passed the proposal, it failed in Madison, 269-334. It passed in Athens 40-25, in Brighton Plantation 3-1 and in Starks 37-21. Combined, SAD 59 towns rejected the measure by 32 votes.

Nick Bearce: A grade for Bangor School Committee's budget

Bangor Daily News, June 5, 2008

(excerpt) A glaring omission in the budget is lack of spending comparisons with similar districts or state or national averages. In the past, comparisons were not done since the budget lines contained different expenses. The state is imposing a uniform chart of accounts which the administration doesn't like. While this may cause some confusion in the short run, in the long run budgets will be comparable between districts.

This article is not available online. It is excerpted here because of its local interest. We offer this excerpt in the belief that such use of this material falls within fair use guidelines. Back issues of newspapers are available at local libraries. Please support your local newspapers!

SAD 74 directors to discuss 1-year merger with SAD 13

Morning Sentinel, June 4, 2008

(excerpt) A temporary merger of administrative services for schools in SAD 74 and the Bingham-based SAD 13 could come a step closer to reality tonight when the School Administrative District 74 board meets in regular session.

The meeting is set for 7 p.m. at Carrabec High School.

On the table tonight is a proposal for an inter-local agreement between the two districts, which would consolidate some of the work, but only as a test drive for one year, SAD 74 Superintendent Regina Campbell said Tuesday.

SAD 74 is made up of the towns of Anson, Solon, Embden and New Portland. SAD 13 is Bingham and Moscow.

"Both boards have been meeting over the past few months discussing possible consolidation of administrative services for next year," Campbell said.

Greenville residents: Fix school restrooms

Bangor Daily News, June 4, 2008

(excerpt) In a rather unusual move during the annual school budget meeting Monday, residents added $50,000 to the spending plan and targeted those funds for replacement of the 75-year-old restrooms on the first floor of Greenville High School.

In making the recommendation, resident Kyle Pelletier said the restrooms are "in miserable shape, absolutely." A member of the school’s building committee, Pelletier said there have been discussions about moving elementary pupils from the Nickerson school into the high school to consolidate and to close the Nickerson school, but much work has to be completed before that can occur.

Report argues for incentives in struggle over school reform

Bangor Daily News, June 4, 2008

(excerpt) A new report by the Maine Children's Alliance contends that the state's school reform effort is flagging but could be revived through a new focus on incentives for consolidation.

"A Case for Cooperation II," to be published later this month, was released Tuesday on the MCA Web site.

The report provides a detailed analysis of the school consolidation law enacted in 2007 as part of the state budget. It charts developments during the recent legislative session, which saw numerous attempts to modify drastically or even repeal the law. And it also looks forward to the 2009 session, when the Legislature likely will consider school reform measures.

Most school districts in Maine are supposed to attempt consolidation, reducing the number of districts statewide from 290 to 80. Only a few plans have been completed and only a handful of communities are ready to vote on them this month, according to report author Douglas Rooks.

Rooks said many local regional planning committees were spending the bulk of their time grappling with the implications of consolidation on their budgets and governing issues of how to manage the expanded school districts, instead of finding ways to consolidate.

"It’s not going well," Rooks said Monday. "People on the [committees] are having a hard time."

SAD 11 Brass: Budgeting Flawed

Kennebec Journal, May 30, 2008

(excerpt) Voters increased the proposed School Administrative District 11 budget by $195,000 at a district budget meeting attended by about 120 of the district's 13,000 residents Tuesday.

The new total proposed budget of nearly $21 million goes to voters from Gardiner, West Gardiner, Randolph and Pittston in a referendum vote June 10.

Both the district budget meeting and the new form of referendum question going to voters June 10 were instituted as part of a state school reorganization law.

Voters Tuesday added $100,000 back into the budget for fuel costs plus another $95,000 in staff costs intended by voters to restore two elementary school guidance counselors' jobs.

Dick Rogers, chairman of the school board, said he thinks the school board may have some discretion in the manner in which the $95,000, added Tuesday, is spent.

But Rogers complained the new state process is "flawed," in that it allowed a small number of people to determine a school budget amount that will go to voters districtwide.

"Clearly the process is flawed, and the Legislature needs to look at this again," Rogers said. "It's unfair a turnout of 120 people can decide for 13,000 people. That's just not right."

Education Commissioner Fields Questions on Consolidation Law

Ellsworth American, May 29, 2008

(excerpt) Ben Wootten, a member of the Blue Hill Regional Planning Committee, said the state was vague about what school districts need to do in order to meet the law’s criteria.

The regional planning committee in Blue Hill includes several members who are supportive of the repeal efforts.

“You say, ‘It doesn’t meet our standards,’” said Wootten.

“‘We ask, ‘What are your standards?’”

“You say, ‘We can’t tell you,’” he said.

There were many questions about a new provision allowing for the creation of an alternative organizational structure (AOS) as an option to the regional school unit (RSU).

Gendron said the AOS, among other things, gives districts more wiggle room in setting teacher salaries, particularly in instances where salaries vary widely from town to town.

“If in our particular case we can show that your recipe does not work, would you be willing to sit down and evaluate [an alternative] with us?” Wooten asked.

“There is nothing in the legislation that allows me to approve another plan” other than the two stipulated, Gendron said.

She methodically moved through a printed PowerPoint presentation and took questions as she went along.

Residents approve SAD 3 budget, add $65,000 more

Morning Sentinel, May 29, 2008

(excerpt) Voters from the 11 towns in School Administrative District 3 finalized the school budget for next year and approved accepting and spending money for construction costs during a meeting Wednesday evening.

Nearly 60 residents faced the school board and approved a $19,815,880 budget that will go before voters on June 10. The amount was amended to $65,000 higher than the board recommended.

Money for items and programs for the new school under construction, including a snow melt system for school walkways, athletic enhancement money from Future MSAD 3, a wind-turbine electrical system, a power generator and an indoor/ outdoor physical education program, was approved.

The 19 articles for budget expenses passed with an additional $65,000 added to the "students and staff support" article.

After repeated pleas to increase the amount to keep certain positions intact, voters approved the extra money. Guidance counselors, health technology, library services, student assessments and improvement of staff training are included in the article.

Chirs Crittenden: Don't let the sun go down on Lubec schools

Bangor Daily News, May 28, 2008

(excerpt) Fastidious and faithful readers of the BDN may have noticed a rare occurrence recently: two articles on different topics about a tiny school that sits as far Down East as you can go. One article (May 15) praises teacher David Finlay who won the National Agriculture Outstanding Teacher Award. He won the Maine Agricultural Teacher of the Year Award last year. Finlay earned a plaque from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He is quoted as saying that he’s incredibly honored and adds, "Hopefully, it will bring recognition for everything being done in Lubec."

This brings me to the second news item (May 1), which has a much different tone: "Town Struggles To Compensate For Subsidy Loss." Rather than celebrate, this article laments. For over 100 years the town of Lubec has taught its own kids, but common sense is on the verge of doom. The attitude in town is that the end is coming, even if they scrape by for another year.

In 2007 Lubec High School received a Best High School Award from U.S. News & World Report. Only 13 schools in the state were so honored. Also in 2007, a Lubec art teacher won a Maine Arts Teaching Fellowship, one of only eight granted.

I could go on listing the praises but you get the flow of the tide. Lubec boasts a gem that should be upheld by our leaders as an ideal of education. Instead, the pencil pushers in Augusta are destroying this precious exemplar by the sea, a beautiful school in a natural, remote area that fosters Finlay’s aquaculture program and a walking trail that meanders through a coastal ecosystem down to the beach.

Consolidation repeal petition unaffected by law changes

Bar Harbor Times, May 27, 2008

(excerpt) Considerable speculation has been swirling around the citizen-initiated petition to repeal the school consolidation law since the legislature amended the law in April of this year. But Skip Greenlaw of Stonington, Chair of the Maine Coalition to Save Schools, said this week that Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap has written a letter to Bryan Dench, the coalition's legal counsel, confirming Dench's opinion that the coalition's petition is unaffected by the changes to the law.

Mr. Greenlaw acknowledged that there has been much confusion about the impact a change in the law might have on the validity of the petition.

"We had been led to believe by rumor or innuendo that the petition might be rendered invalid because of legislative action,” he said. “We were very pleased and excited to learn that we are incorrect."