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Log inSchool district merger up for vote
School district merger up for vote
by Outspoken on Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:47 am
School district merger up for vote
Election 2008: A plan to consolidate SAD 51 and Arundel is on next week's ballot.
By ANN S. KIM
Staff Writer Portland Press Herald
Voters in Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel will decide Tuesday on a proposal to create a new regional school unit for their communities.
The proposal to combine Maine School Administrative District 71 -- the district for Kennebunk and Kennebunkport -- and Arundel would produce $75,000 in savings after the first year through the consolidation of services, but also would add about $700,000 in costs over three years to bring salaries of Arundel employees in line with those of their SAD 71 peers.
The proposal, approved by the Maine Education Department last week, calls on the future regional school unit board to look for other savings in non-classroom areas to help offset the $700,000 cost.
If voters reject the consolidation plan Tuesday, another plan would have to be drafted and approved by Jan. 30 to avoid penalties.
Penalties for non-compliance would cost Arundel $120,100 and SAD 71 $637,349 in the first year. School officials from the districts expect that those figures would increase in following years.
Both school boards have endorsed the consolidation plan.
A state law passed by the Legislature in 2007 requires most of the Maine's 288 school districts to consolidate, as a way to cut administrative costs.
The current financial climate will require all school districts to look for ways to save money, regardless of whether they are reorganizing, said David Connerty-Marin, an Education Department spokesman. He expected that additional savings can be identified in a merged district.
"Clearly, the next RSU board is going to have its work cut out for itself," said Maureen King, co-chair of the regional planning committee and SAD 71 chair. "They're going to have to dig deeper."
She said she thinks the consolidation law is flawed but that, as a school official, she has a responsibility to uphold the law and work for the best plan possible.
"I've made no bones about it. I think the law is a mess," she said.
Generally speaking, districts have to reorganize to have at least 2,500 students, although exceptions are possible in certain circumstances. SAD 71 has about 2,228 students and Arundel has about 623.
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=218950&ac=PHnws
Election 2008: A plan to consolidate SAD 51 and Arundel is on next week's ballot.
By ANN S. KIM
Staff Writer Portland Press Herald
Voters in Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel will decide Tuesday on a proposal to create a new regional school unit for their communities.
The proposal to combine Maine School Administrative District 71 -- the district for Kennebunk and Kennebunkport -- and Arundel would produce $75,000 in savings after the first year through the consolidation of services, but also would add about $700,000 in costs over three years to bring salaries of Arundel employees in line with those of their SAD 71 peers.
The proposal, approved by the Maine Education Department last week, calls on the future regional school unit board to look for other savings in non-classroom areas to help offset the $700,000 cost.
If voters reject the consolidation plan Tuesday, another plan would have to be drafted and approved by Jan. 30 to avoid penalties.
Penalties for non-compliance would cost Arundel $120,100 and SAD 71 $637,349 in the first year. School officials from the districts expect that those figures would increase in following years.
Both school boards have endorsed the consolidation plan.
A state law passed by the Legislature in 2007 requires most of the Maine's 288 school districts to consolidate, as a way to cut administrative costs.
The current financial climate will require all school districts to look for ways to save money, regardless of whether they are reorganizing, said David Connerty-Marin, an Education Department spokesman. He expected that additional savings can be identified in a merged district.
"Clearly, the next RSU board is going to have its work cut out for itself," said Maureen King, co-chair of the regional planning committee and SAD 71 chair. "They're going to have to dig deeper."
She said she thinks the consolidation law is flawed but that, as a school official, she has a responsibility to uphold the law and work for the best plan possible.
"I've made no bones about it. I think the law is a mess," she said.
Generally speaking, districts have to reorganize to have at least 2,500 students, although exceptions are possible in certain circumstances. SAD 71 has about 2,228 students and Arundel has about 623.
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=218950&ac=PHnws
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Plato (427-347 BC)
Plato (427-347 BC)
