[Local-Maine-Schools] blended plan

[Dick Atlee]

Ralph Chapman wrote:
> The attached "blended plan" comes from a small schools coalition
> meeting and has circulated widely among superintendents.  I do not
> know how much attention it has received or will receive.

So here are some of the questions that seem to be arising.  We could 
brainstorm on others.  It should be kept in mind that all this hubbub 
arose out of seriously questionable assumptions on the existence of 
administrative savings.  Is this proposal any different?

Consolidation:
  * Are Unions allowed?
  * To what extent does this still gut local control?
  * What if a plan fails to be ratified by an included town?
  * Does DOE have any power over submitted plans?

Budget and EPS
  * Given that energy prices are rising, what is the consequence of
     cutting transportation costs by 5% (crashes of under-maintained
     buses, closing of schools, etc.)?
  * What exactly does reduction in EPS budget for system administration
      entail -- how much of a reduction, and what does this say to
      already-efficiently-operating entities?
  * What is required to exceed EPS?

General
  * Why not include a commission to help study efficiencies all over the
    state, instead of forcing individual areas to dream things up on a
    balkanized scale, missing the possibilities of trans-district
    efficiencies (such as health insurance)
  * Given that the assumptions underlying the $36 million in "savings"
    of the Baldacci/Appropriations plans are questionable, what are the
    implicit assumptions of this blended plan, and how much less
    questionable are they?