Regional Round-up!

What follows is a quick survey of the Eastern Gazette/Hometown Advantage (Dexter), the Moosehead Messenger (Greenville), the Piscataquis Observer (Dover-Foxcroft), and the Sebasticook Valley Weekly (Newport) from last week, with cover dates from August 14 through August 18, for school and education-related news.

From the Observer (and the Gazette), we learn that area superintendents, from MSADs 4, 41, 46, 68, and from Harmony and Union 60, met on August 2 in Dover-Foxcroft. They convened with a facilitator from the Department of Education, and the account makes it all sound very informative and bland.

But included there is a tidbit with a little bit of spice to it:

Superintendents also learned that whether they consolidate or not by July 1, 2008, there will be a reduction in subsidy that amounts to nearly 50% of administrative state subsidy and 5% of maintenance and transportation and special education.

Unless changes are made during the next legislative session, these cuts take place July 1.

Doesn't this, in a nutshell, dramatize the path many districts are now following?

Only very slowly are they becoming involved in the process. Many are treating the August 31 deadline as merely a formality, and are hardly making a serious effort at beginning to actually narrow their district's options.

Then as time grows short, and they attempt to plead with the Legislature for a delay, they'll complain about the tight timeline and the unreasonable demands of the State. As they come up on July 1, they'll play a game of brinksmanship, with taxpayers the hostages at the center of the drama.

Also in the Observer, we see that the SAD 68 Board has authorized two letters of intent. The first proposes an alliance with SADs 4, 41, and 46, along with Union 60 and the unorganized territories. The second letter proposes an alliance solely with SAD 41 (Milo).

The Moosehead Messenger covers the nominations to their Regional Planning Committee by the Greenville Board of Selectmen.

As well, in a back-to-school column by Superintendent Perry, she announces the formation of a joint community/school finance committee. This committee is charged with making

recommendations as to how the Greenville School System may be able to cut approximately $200,000 from the expenditure budget without negatively impacting student programming for our children. This will not be an easy task...

Amen!

Finally, the Sebasticook Valley Weekly reports on the upcoming second meeting of SAD 48's Regional Planning Committee.

...the committee was slated to review data pertaining to a proposed merger with neighboring school districts SAD 38, Etna-Dixmont and SAD 53, Burnham, Detroit and Pittsfield.
...
Data slated for review Thursday included student populations, town valuations, special education needs, programming and populations; policies and central office operations.

So you can see that some districts in the area are working and some are shirking! We'll have to see whose citizens and students are being truly well served.