Driven by concerns about money and local control, some Mainers take steps to dissolve RSUs.
http://www.pressherald.com/news/school-districts-rethink-merits-of-consolidation_2012-10-08.html
By Gillian Graham ggraham@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Residents of nearly 20 communities across Maine are facing
long negotiations and emotional votes to dissolve school districts
formed three years ago under a state mandate.
The flurry of withdrawals was not unexpected by state
officials, who heard for years from people who were upset with what they
considered forced consolidation.
Now, after the required 30 months in their consolidated districts, communities have the option to leave.
The desire to leave a regional school unit is most often driven by concerns about money and local control.
The law passed in 2007 was an attempt to cut administrative costs by
merging the state's 290 school districts into 80 regional units. Some
school districts -- including large ones and schools that were
considered high-performing -- had to do little to comply with the law,
while others struggled to find communities with which to form a new
district.
ABOUT SCHOOL REORGANIZATION
• It was enacted in 2007 under the Baldacci administration.
• The law sets state policy to ensure that schools be organized as units to provide equitable educational opportunities, rigorous academic programs, uniformity in delivering programs, a greater uniformity in tax rates, more efficient and effective use of limited resources, preservation of school choice and maximum opportunity to deliver services in an efficient manner.
• All school units were required to work with other units to reorganize into larger, more efficient units. Where expansion was impractical or inconsistent with state policy, units could reorganize their own administrative structures to reduce costs.
• The aim of the law was to form school districts with at least 2,500 students. When that was not practical, school districts were told to aim for 1,200 students.
• The intent of the law was to reduce the number of school districts in the state from 290 to 80.
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• It was enacted in 2007 under the Baldacci administration.
• The law sets state policy to ensure that schools be organized as units to provide equitable educational opportunities, rigorous academic programs, uniformity in delivering programs, a greater uniformity in tax rates, more efficient and effective use of limited resources, preservation of school choice and maximum opportunity to deliver services in an efficient manner.
• All school units were required to work with other units to reorganize into larger, more efficient units. Where expansion was impractical or inconsistent with state policy, units could reorganize their own administrative structures to reduce costs.
• The aim of the law was to form school districts with at least 2,500 students. When that was not practical, school districts were told to aim for 1,200 students.
• The intent of the law was to reduce the number of school districts in the state from 290 to 80.
read more...
I am not sure what "Local Control" people are looking for. When 80% of your budget is contracted and you have no say over it. Your local control boils down to 20% and that is programming and staff....I for one, do not want to have to find our savings by cutting these things....ALL from MLD by the way because we can't cut anywhere else. Give me 6 schools to nickel and dime to make up the cuts, not one small school where a program will be cut and our kids education will suffer.
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