Consolidation plan raises questions
Consolidation plan raises questions
Plan could place school buildings under regional control, officials say
By Lucas Knowles
Editor
Town officials in Scarborough are crafting responses to Governor John Baldacci’s proposal to consolidate school districts in the state from 296 to 26. The officials have many questions about the plan, including whether it is fair to have the district take ownership of school property but have local taxpayers foot the bill.
When asked how they felt about the governor’s proposal, where school districts would range from around 1,800 to 20,000 students, having the regional district share administrative duties and which would create regional school boards, many officials brought up the issue of regional control of local school property.
Under the governor’s proposal, Scarborough schools would be combined with Westbrook schools and the Bonny Eagle school district to create one “superdistrict.”
Superintendent David Doyle wonders if it is fair to ask town taxpayers to pay the debt on a regionally owned building.
“Under the plan, local school properties would be transferred to the super district,” Doyle said. “In Scarborough, we have a $27 million dollar high school that would have to be turned over to the district, but the town would be responsible for paying that debt.”
Doyle admitted that school consolidation had been discussed at the state level, but not to the extent of what is now being proposed.
“(The governor’s plan) was a surprise,” Doyle said. “Asking for 26 districts was a shock.”
The State Board of Education’s proposal for school consolidation is a “much more viable” plan, according to Doyle.
The State Board of Education’s plan would establish 65 school districts of about 3,000 to 4,000 students. Those districts larger than that would remain intact. Doyle said under that plan, Scarborough would remain its own district and much of its administration would remain intact. He said the 3,000 to 4,000 number is much closer to the national average for students in a district.
Overall, Doyle said he is concerned about what will happen to local control under the governor’s plan.
“There is a significant loss of local control (under this plan),” Doyle said. “I wonder whether that will benefit kids in Scarborough.”
When asked whether the Scarborough School Board was going to make a collective statement regarding the governor’s plan, board chair Annalee Rosenblatt said she would like to see the School Board and Town Council come together and discuss the plan and its implications.
Rosenblatt said there was no indication from Baldacci before the recent election that a plan like the one being proposed would exist.
“It is too bad the governor didn’t tell us about this before running for office,” Rosenblatt said. “We were ambushed a little in that respect.”
Rosenblatt said she questions why districts were drawn up according to the current districts for vocational students and not another way, like by county. She also questioned a structure that includes regional school boards and how effective that structure can be.
“We have enough trouble to get people to go to School Board meetings,” Rosenblatt said. “The farther removed the district gets from the population center, the less involved they will get.”
Rosenblatt, while she thinks that some consolidation is warranted, believes that local officials should have a say on what is best for their municipality, a proposal that Town Councilor Patrick O’Reilly agrees with.
“Those communities who have heartburn over (the governor’s plan) should be able to negotiate their own group,” O’Reilly said.
O’Reilly questioned whether it would be beneficial for Scarborough to join with Westbrook and Bonny Eagle on an educational level.
“Scarborough is farther ahead in the educational and facility component (than Westbrook and Bonny Eagle),” O’Reilly said. “Going into that situation, you don’t want to be the stronger school, you want to be in the middle of the pack.”
O’Reilly said other partnerships, such as working with Cape Elizabeth, should be explored.
Several other proposals, other than the governor’s, have been crafted that would consolidate schools in Maine. Those bills will begin to be processed by the Maine Legislature in the coming weeks.
Plan could place school buildings under regional control, officials say
By Lucas Knowles
Editor
Town officials in Scarborough are crafting responses to Governor John Baldacci’s proposal to consolidate school districts in the state from 296 to 26. The officials have many questions about the plan, including whether it is fair to have the district take ownership of school property but have local taxpayers foot the bill.
When asked how they felt about the governor’s proposal, where school districts would range from around 1,800 to 20,000 students, having the regional district share administrative duties and which would create regional school boards, many officials brought up the issue of regional control of local school property.
Under the governor’s proposal, Scarborough schools would be combined with Westbrook schools and the Bonny Eagle school district to create one “superdistrict.”
Superintendent David Doyle wonders if it is fair to ask town taxpayers to pay the debt on a regionally owned building.
“Under the plan, local school properties would be transferred to the super district,” Doyle said. “In Scarborough, we have a $27 million dollar high school that would have to be turned over to the district, but the town would be responsible for paying that debt.”
Doyle admitted that school consolidation had been discussed at the state level, but not to the extent of what is now being proposed.
“(The governor’s plan) was a surprise,” Doyle said. “Asking for 26 districts was a shock.”
The State Board of Education’s proposal for school consolidation is a “much more viable” plan, according to Doyle.
The State Board of Education’s plan would establish 65 school districts of about 3,000 to 4,000 students. Those districts larger than that would remain intact. Doyle said under that plan, Scarborough would remain its own district and much of its administration would remain intact. He said the 3,000 to 4,000 number is much closer to the national average for students in a district.
Overall, Doyle said he is concerned about what will happen to local control under the governor’s plan.
“There is a significant loss of local control (under this plan),” Doyle said. “I wonder whether that will benefit kids in Scarborough.”
When asked whether the Scarborough School Board was going to make a collective statement regarding the governor’s plan, board chair Annalee Rosenblatt said she would like to see the School Board and Town Council come together and discuss the plan and its implications.
Rosenblatt said there was no indication from Baldacci before the recent election that a plan like the one being proposed would exist.
“It is too bad the governor didn’t tell us about this before running for office,” Rosenblatt said. “We were ambushed a little in that respect.”
Rosenblatt said she questions why districts were drawn up according to the current districts for vocational students and not another way, like by county. She also questioned a structure that includes regional school boards and how effective that structure can be.
“We have enough trouble to get people to go to School Board meetings,” Rosenblatt said. “The farther removed the district gets from the population center, the less involved they will get.”
Rosenblatt, while she thinks that some consolidation is warranted, believes that local officials should have a say on what is best for their municipality, a proposal that Town Councilor Patrick O’Reilly agrees with.
“Those communities who have heartburn over (the governor’s plan) should be able to negotiate their own group,” O’Reilly said.
O’Reilly questioned whether it would be beneficial for Scarborough to join with Westbrook and Bonny Eagle on an educational level.
“Scarborough is farther ahead in the educational and facility component (than Westbrook and Bonny Eagle),” O’Reilly said. “Going into that situation, you don’t want to be the stronger school, you want to be in the middle of the pack.”
O’Reilly said other partnerships, such as working with Cape Elizabeth, should be explored.
Several other proposals, other than the governor’s, have been crafted that would consolidate schools in Maine. Those bills will begin to be processed by the Maine Legislature in the coming weeks.
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