The Cheese Stands Alone

News of recent days tells us that Bangor, Augusta, Auburn, SAD 49 (Fairfield), SAD 17 (Oxford Hills), SAD 3 (Thorndike) -- and perhaps others such as SAD 54 (Skowhegan), Messalonskee (Oakland), and SAD 63 (Holden) -- intend to stand alone, that is, not consolidate with any other districts.

As well, six districts -- SAD 22 (Hampden), Cape Elizabeth, Yarmouth, Brunswick, SAD 75 (Topsham), and SAD 58 (Phillips) -- are exempt due to their designation as "efficient, high-performing."

But wait! An article in Saturday's Kennebec Journal proves that the Commissioner isn't napping:

The state will reject the Augusta Board of Education's decision not to consolidate with neighboring communities because it is based on inaccurate data, a Department of Education spokesman said Friday.

One has to wonder how many more of these solo plans will be blocked.

After all, the Department of Education and the Commissioner have a wide degree of latitude throughout the consolidation process. This has been pointed out in the Maine Heritage Policy Center's "The Sinclair Act at Fifty":

The bill gives extraordinary power to the unelected commissioner of education. The commissioner is empowered, for instance, to grant exceptions to any number of provisions of the law, including whether or not districts must submit to reorganization in the first place. Additionally, the commissioner has the power to approve or disapprove any reorganization plan before it goes in front of voters, effectively giving that office a veto over consolidation agreements developed locally. Indeed, the commissioner's authority with regard to reorganization seems both boundless and final, as no method for appeal of any of the commissioner’s decisions is included in the law.

As our friend Matt says, ...Developing...

The dog takes a cat, the dog takes a cat,
Hi-ho, the derry-o, the dog takes a cat.

The cat takes a rat, the cat takes a rat,
Hi-ho, the derry-o, the cat takes a rat.

The rat takes the cheese, the rat takes the cheese,
Hi-ho, the derry-o, the rat takes the cheese.

The cheese stands alone, the cheese stands alone,
Hi-ho, the derry-o, the cheese stands alone.

--The Farmer in the Dell

Update, 9 PM, Thursday: The DOE has just released a list of Letters of Intent they've received as of this morning. The list is here (MS Excel file). Press release here:

“You can use the finances to find ways to say ‘no,’ or you can say – as so many units have – this is the right thing to do to create opportunities for our students and find ways to make the finances work,” Gendron said. “I am very encouraged by the work that’s been done to date and the groundwork it has laid for the work ahead.”