Bill would remove barriers to consolidation (Printed Dec. 21, 2007)
By Ashley St. Michel
Staff Writer
In an effort to relieve barriers that halted some Regional School Unit (RSU) talks the Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee voted to in favor of a bill to remove financial barriers presented in LD 499, the school reorganization law.
LD 1932 is expected to assist school districts in determining cost sharing agreements, allow school units that currently receive a minimum subsidy to retain that subsidy even if they join with another unit and remove the requirement that all school units in the state must raise a minimum of $2 per $1,000 of valuation for education. A press release from the Department of Education (DOE) stated the valuation change affects about two dozen communities with high property valuations and a lower number of students.
According to LD 499, when towns or cities with high property values, which are minimum subsidy receivers, are put into districts with towns or cities with low property values, those high value towns and cities drive up property values and reduce state aid.
On June 21, 2007 the Maine House and Senate passed the school administrative reorganization legislation which chopped the number of districts from more than 200 down to 80. The law states the policy was enacted, “to ensure that schools be organized as units in order to provide equitable educational opportunities, rigorous academic programs, uniformity in delivering programs and tax rates, more efficient and effective use of limited resources, preservation of school choice and maximum opportunity to deliver services in an efficient manner.”
The Education and Cultural Affairs Committee hosted an open forum Dec. 12, which allowed community members, municipal officers and representatives from the entire state to comment on LD 1932. The committee heard comments from proponents, opponants and people still on the fence about the law.
“We started finding that funding barriers have been stopping some conversations at the schools so they couldn’t complete the planning process,” Education Commissioner Susan Gendron said. “It was never the intention to cause one community all the financial burden for funding.”
Kennebunk Town Manager Barry Tibbetts spoke to the Education Committee about the valuation issue in Kennebunk. Under LD 499, all school units in the state were required to raise a minimum of $2 per $1,000 of valuation for education.
“I appreciate everything you have done to get to this point, I really couldn’t go back to my taxpayers and say we are going to take another hit,” he said.
Tibbetts cited high property values in Kennebunk and Kennebunkport as a problem during school consolidation talks because when towns or cities with high property values are put into districts with towns or cities that have lower property values, those high values towns and cities drive up property values and reduce state aid.
During a Dec. 14 phone interview Arundel Superintendent Alton Hadley said he wasn’t sure what impact the law change would have on Mildred L. Day Middle School.
“We are still moving forward,” Hadley said. “Who knows, Wells or Ogunquit could potentially come back with us.”
Hadley said he wasn’t at the Dec. 12 meeting in Augusta because he hadn’t received notification about the meeting.
Representative Alan Casavant (D) for District 137 which includes Kennebunkport and part of Biddeford announced his disapproval of the bill citing a lack of responses from DOE.
“My regional planning committee in Kennebunkport has found this doesn’t help them whatsoever,” Casavant said. “Kennebunk might favor this but Kennebunkport doesn’t.”
Casavant said there has been a lack of communication from the DOE, including materials which the DOE requested in relation to school consolidation plans which he claims the committee hasn’t received information about.
“It seems we are just reinventing the wheel, the original law,” he said, and added the regional planning committee volunteers for RSU 57 are maxed out on their time and energy.
“Nerves are starting to get frazzled,” he said.
Representative Peter Edgecomb (R), Caribou, asked Gendron if there was a timeline yet for when committees can expect the number of meetings to slow down.
“I acknowledge it will take more time before people can stop meeting and the RSUs can start moving forward,” she answered. “But I acknowledge the amount of the time which has been spent.”
Tibbetts said the committee for RSU 57 has met for more than 30 hours total, spending two to three hours each time they meet.
Jeff Hermon of the Maine Municipal Association agreed with Casavant.
“Just to say go and work out your own formula with other schools isn’t the right way to approach this law,” Harmon said.
Senate Majority Leader Libby Mitchell, representing Augusta, China, Oakland, Sydney and Vassalboro in Kennebec County, said the law change will most likely be one of many to the original LD 499. She said the law changes are really a call for assistance for anyone who has suggestions about LD 499 to voice them.
Tibbetts said although the DOE wanted a referendum vote by January, RSU 57 is looking toward a November 2008 deadline.
“If we can just get through this and adopt the law, I think you are going to find the committees are moving forward easier,” he said.
The submitted plan of RSU 57 included representative groups based on population. Arundel has three representatives with 20.7 percent of the population, Kennebunkport has three representatives with 20.4 percent of the population and Kennebunk has six representatives with 58.8 percent of the population of the three communities combined.
Regional School Units had to file anotice of intent with the Commissioner by Aug. 31, 2007 and then work to develop a reorganization plan following a 13-point assessment from the DOE, to be delivered to them by Dec. 15. The assessment includes financial budgets, cost-shifting and amount of money raised by individual school’s to contribute to the RSU. Regional School Unit 57 presented their plan on time to the DOE, but Kennebunk Treasurer Joel Downs said part of the 13-point assessment couldn’t be completed. The December deadline was formed in order to help the units secure a plan which would make time for a January referendum vote. Any RSU whose plan is approved by the commissioner in December is required to hold a referendum on the plan January, 2008.
To contact Ashley St. Michel, call 282-4337 ext. 228 or email news@kennebunkpost.com.
Staff Writer
In an effort to relieve barriers that halted some Regional School Unit (RSU) talks the Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee voted to in favor of a bill to remove financial barriers presented in LD 499, the school reorganization law.
LD 1932 is expected to assist school districts in determining cost sharing agreements, allow school units that currently receive a minimum subsidy to retain that subsidy even if they join with another unit and remove the requirement that all school units in the state must raise a minimum of $2 per $1,000 of valuation for education. A press release from the Department of Education (DOE) stated the valuation change affects about two dozen communities with high property valuations and a lower number of students.
According to LD 499, when towns or cities with high property values, which are minimum subsidy receivers, are put into districts with towns or cities with low property values, those high value towns and cities drive up property values and reduce state aid.
On June 21, 2007 the Maine House and Senate passed the school administrative reorganization legislation which chopped the number of districts from more than 200 down to 80. The law states the policy was enacted, “to ensure that schools be organized as units in order to provide equitable educational opportunities, rigorous academic programs, uniformity in delivering programs and tax rates, more efficient and effective use of limited resources, preservation of school choice and maximum opportunity to deliver services in an efficient manner.”
The Education and Cultural Affairs Committee hosted an open forum Dec. 12, which allowed community members, municipal officers and representatives from the entire state to comment on LD 1932. The committee heard comments from proponents, opponants and people still on the fence about the law.
“We started finding that funding barriers have been stopping some conversations at the schools so they couldn’t complete the planning process,” Education Commissioner Susan Gendron said. “It was never the intention to cause one community all the financial burden for funding.”
Kennebunk Town Manager Barry Tibbetts spoke to the Education Committee about the valuation issue in Kennebunk. Under LD 499, all school units in the state were required to raise a minimum of $2 per $1,000 of valuation for education.
“I appreciate everything you have done to get to this point, I really couldn’t go back to my taxpayers and say we are going to take another hit,” he said.
Tibbetts cited high property values in Kennebunk and Kennebunkport as a problem during school consolidation talks because when towns or cities with high property values are put into districts with towns or cities that have lower property values, those high values towns and cities drive up property values and reduce state aid.
During a Dec. 14 phone interview Arundel Superintendent Alton Hadley said he wasn’t sure what impact the law change would have on Mildred L. Day Middle School.
“We are still moving forward,” Hadley said. “Who knows, Wells or Ogunquit could potentially come back with us.”
Hadley said he wasn’t at the Dec. 12 meeting in Augusta because he hadn’t received notification about the meeting.
Representative Alan Casavant (D) for District 137 which includes Kennebunkport and part of Biddeford announced his disapproval of the bill citing a lack of responses from DOE.
“My regional planning committee in Kennebunkport has found this doesn’t help them whatsoever,” Casavant said. “Kennebunk might favor this but Kennebunkport doesn’t.”
Casavant said there has been a lack of communication from the DOE, including materials which the DOE requested in relation to school consolidation plans which he claims the committee hasn’t received information about.
“It seems we are just reinventing the wheel, the original law,” he said, and added the regional planning committee volunteers for RSU 57 are maxed out on their time and energy.
“Nerves are starting to get frazzled,” he said.
Representative Peter Edgecomb (R), Caribou, asked Gendron if there was a timeline yet for when committees can expect the number of meetings to slow down.
“I acknowledge it will take more time before people can stop meeting and the RSUs can start moving forward,” she answered. “But I acknowledge the amount of the time which has been spent.”
Tibbetts said the committee for RSU 57 has met for more than 30 hours total, spending two to three hours each time they meet.
Jeff Hermon of the Maine Municipal Association agreed with Casavant.
“Just to say go and work out your own formula with other schools isn’t the right way to approach this law,” Harmon said.
Senate Majority Leader Libby Mitchell, representing Augusta, China, Oakland, Sydney and Vassalboro in Kennebec County, said the law change will most likely be one of many to the original LD 499. She said the law changes are really a call for assistance for anyone who has suggestions about LD 499 to voice them.
Tibbetts said although the DOE wanted a referendum vote by January, RSU 57 is looking toward a November 2008 deadline.
“If we can just get through this and adopt the law, I think you are going to find the committees are moving forward easier,” he said.
The submitted plan of RSU 57 included representative groups based on population. Arundel has three representatives with 20.7 percent of the population, Kennebunkport has three representatives with 20.4 percent of the population and Kennebunk has six representatives with 58.8 percent of the population of the three communities combined.
Regional School Units had to file anotice of intent with the Commissioner by Aug. 31, 2007 and then work to develop a reorganization plan following a 13-point assessment from the DOE, to be delivered to them by Dec. 15. The assessment includes financial budgets, cost-shifting and amount of money raised by individual school’s to contribute to the RSU. Regional School Unit 57 presented their plan on time to the DOE, but Kennebunk Treasurer Joel Downs said part of the 13-point assessment couldn’t be completed. The December deadline was formed in order to help the units secure a plan which would make time for a January referendum vote. Any RSU whose plan is approved by the commissioner in December is required to hold a referendum on the plan January, 2008.
To contact Ashley St. Michel, call 282-4337 ext. 228 or email news@kennebunkpost.com.
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