[Local-Maine-Schools] Essay on resistance by Paul Bridge

[Dick Atlee]

I received a typed copy of the following from Paul Bridge of Parkman in 
July.  Regrettably, I misplaced it until now, but scanned it in and 
checked with Paul, who said he'd still appreciate it being shared with 
people.  The opinions expressed are his.

Dick Atlee

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From: Paul Bridge
96 Harlow Pond Road
Parkman, ME  04443
Phone:  876-3149
Dated:  7-17-07

At the regional meeting at Dexter High School, an explanation of the law 
requiring school consolidation was presented.  The explanation sounded 
reasonable until questions were asked which revealed that the law was 
based on some fallacies.

The law recognizes all school systems to reorganize into larger, more 
efficient units ore reorganized administrative structures to reduce 
costs.  History reveals that the formation of school districts did not 
reduce costs, the regionalization of hospitals did not reduce costs, and 
the Chancellor's Office in our university system did not reduce costs. 
Studies of both private and public organizations show that consolidation 
does not improve efficiency or reduce costs.

The original plan called for reducing to 26 administrative units to save 
$36.5 million dollars.  The present plan claims to save the same amount 
with 80 administrative units.  The presumed cost savings of this 
legislation is not substantiated.

The original plan claimed that larger units would reduce administrative 
costs per student.  This conclusion ignores the fact that many class C 
schools with less than 1000 students K-9 have below state average per 
pupil costs.  Did the legislature choose the 2500 student limit because 
some A schools meet that requirement and choose the 1200 provisional 
size because most B schools met that standard thereby targeting B & C 
schools; rural schools, "2nd" Maine areas, politically important areas? 
Ask your legislator how they choose district size.

Interestingly, it will be far more difficult to consolidate rural 
districts because of distance and climate zones than to combine services 
in city and suburban areas. Is it possible that factors other than 
number of students affect school unit costs? The revolution in computer 
systems and internet communication would appear to provide far more 
opportunity for cost savings and education improvement and would be 
particularly helpful to rural schools.

The law appears to allow present school units choices on formation of a 
regional district. However, present school units have less than 2 months 
to develop a regional plan. The plan must meet legislative standards. 
The plan must be approved by the Commissioner of Education. If the plan 
is not approved there are severe penalties. The time line, legislative 
requirements, Commissioner approval, and penalty provisions indicate 
there is no local choice.

The law states there is to be no closing of schools or elimination of 
teachers during the regionalization process. Yet one of the basic 
cost-saving proposals was to increase class sizes which would reduce 
teachers and probably schools. These reductions would be made by the 
regional district school boards (controlled by legislative and 
Department funding decisions). The blame for the reductions is intended 
to go to the school boards, not Augusta.

One approach to encouraging administrative efficiency would be to 
reimburse all school units at the state average (or at a "reduced rate") 
thereby rewarding efficient units and penalizing inefficiency. But the 
law penalizes those who do not conform to Department mandates 
irregardless of efficiency. Penalties are based on control issues not 
cost issues. The Sinclair Bill offered rewards for compliance; this bill 
threatens penalties. Does this approach generate trust in our Department 
of Education?

As one sat in the well-constructed and well-maintained Dexter High 
School, you had to wonder why the State decided to discard the school. 
The local school district had petitioned for approval to build a middle 
school and had been turned down by the State. By some undisclosed 
process, the District then asked to build a K-8 complex which was 
speedily approved by Augusta. More questions than answers?

This past year Augusta proposed eliminating state money for 
extra-curricular activities. There are many outstanding examples of 
excellence in music, sports, math clubs, yearbook and other activities. 
Many of these programs owe their success to community support by 
volunteers, by parents, and school boards. What happens to those 
community supported activities in a mega district.?

Our speaker presented a very confusing menu of reimbursement methods. 
Some funding was based on per pupil data (tuition), some on town 
valuations, and some on essential services. These competing formulas 
raise questions about how Augusta manages.

On any legislative action one needs to ask: "Who wins? Who loses?" This 
legislation gives the Department of Education, our employees, 
overwhelming power. The owners of the schools, our citizens, lose their 
school boards thereby their ability to influence school policy.

Some people believe the main issue is one of "local control." Those that 
use the term may be uninformed about the basis of "government by the 
people, for the people, by the people." If one thinks about what the 
10th Amendment states in the Bill of Rights of Citizens, it can be 
paraphrased: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the 
Constitution or to the states by their constitutions respectively are 
reserved to the people." Powers reserved to the people include the 
management of K-12 schools. Our educators must be faulted for failing to 
teach the most basic right of the people under our Constitution.

For a number of years the Democratic Party (with the cooperation of the 
Republican Party) have targeted municipalities, counties, and schools. 
The failure of the voters to remove officials who attack local 
government means that they share responsibility for our present 
situation. The present takeover of our schools is the result of the 
failure to remove the Democratic administration.

First, let's define the problem. It is money of course. Our State 
Constitution requires that the Legislature balance the budget; i.e., 
planned expenditures for the budget period must not exceed anticipated 
receipts. If the budget is balanced, no debt is created. If debt is 
created, the budget is not balanced. The State has about 5000 million 
dollars of unbonded debt. That debt represents the accumulated total of 
unbalanced budgets; unconstitutional unbalanced budgets.

For years I wondered about how we could have such huge budget gaps, year 
after year. The answer was that the previous year's budget was not 
balanced. Because last year's budget was not balanced, the Legislature 
is proposing a 300
million dollar bond issue and drastic cuts in health and education.

One element of the problem is that the Legislature is controlling local 
budgets. To avoid that unreliable control, municipalities must have a 
source of revenue unencumbered by the Legislature.

This revenue can not be a new tax, must be identifiable by municipality, 
and must be a general tax of high volume. There is only one answer.

I propose that the personal income tax (100%) be sent from the State 
Bureau of Taxation to the town, city, plantation, or township of any 
taxpayer's residence. The State subsidies to towns is about equal to the 
personal income tax. Corporate income tax and non-residence income tax 
would be retained by the State. The State would be prohibited from 
making any subsidy to a town unless authorized by a referendum vote of 
the people. Real estate tax is reserved to the municipality where 
located for the town's appropriation and use.

Augusta doesn't seem to listen to rural concerns or ballots. Perhaps 
they will pay more attention if we vote with our wallets.

Those who believe schools should be managed locally ought to boycott 
shopping centers in Portland, Bangor, Lewiston/Auburn, Augusta and 
Waterville. Augusta "doesn't listen" to small town voters, but they 
listen to big town businesses.
The boycott should start in August and continue until the regional 
consolidation plan is repealed.

Secondly, if the plan is not repealed by November, we should vote down 
the bond issue. The bond issue is larger than projected savings by 
consolidation. Our money, our choice.

Third, it is imperative that we start a referendum process for reserving 
the personal income tax to municipalities. The School Board Association 
may be able to help with the start-up of this process.

Our most difficult problem is that our Democratic and Republican 
candidates represent special interest groups (campaign funding). we need 
to organize a party that will represent local government problems and 
concerns. Our present parties are attacking school boards. I suggest 
that our school boards nominate a candidate for each representative and 
senate district in our next election.

We claim to support our troops fighting in foreign lands at risk of life 
and limb. They usually say they are fighting for freedom; the right to 
make choices ... a right embedded in our government "of the people, for 
the people, by the people." If we are supporting our troops, then we 
need to protect our right to make choices, our "reserved rights" of 
local government. If -- if you value your rights as a citizen, it is 
time to fight on the home front. There can be no clearer issue than who 
controls our schools. I have suggested some ways to fight. Undoubtedly, 
there are other ways. The final question is: "Are you willing to take 
action to defend your rights as a citizen?"