[Local-Maine-Schools] 3/23: Education Subcommittee of Appropriations (short version)

[Brian Hubbell]

Here's a mercilessly short editorial summation of the direction that
the Appropriation's subcommittee on Education appears to be  taking.

In comparison to the Education Committee's endeavor to put local
school districts in charge of planning their own consolidations, this
committee greatly prefers the expedience inherent in a process that
both begins and ends in Augusta.

They will charge Commissioner Gendron and her department with building
the individual consolidation proposals.  These will then be presented
regionally. But there is not yet any indication that the regions will
be any sort of equal partners in the process with the ability to
direct or significantly alter the proposals. Then the plans will be
returned to the State Board of Education for final approval.

Any petitions for exceptions apparently initially would be settled by
the Commissioner and, ultimately, would be settled by the State Board.

Allowing any necessary local vote to approve these state-drawn plans
worries committee members as it holds the potential of messing with
the booking of any savings in the budget.

Tellingly, there apparently is no worry expressed that the State Board
of Education potentially could turn down a plan and skew the savings.
I imagine that's not expected.