[Local-Maine-Schools] Education Committee 'public forum': January 4, 2008

[Brian Hubbell]

[For more legible version, see:
http://mdischools.net/20080104_EducationCommittee.pdf ]

Today's parade of legislators proved to be substantially less grinding
than the Education Committee's schedule and ground rules were prepared
to withstand.

Of the 45 invited legislators who had submitted bill requests related
to school reform to the legislative council last October, perhaps more
than a few heeded Committee Chair Representative Norton's warning that
"if your only issue is repeal, feel free NOT to take your five
minutes."

Rather, Representative Norton advised, legislators were to restrict
presentations to only their "most heart-burning issue" and to
accompany any critique with a proposed solution that the Committee
could consider to include in its own subsequent work.

Over the course of the day, the Committee heard from 22 legislators
whose recommendations could be categorized as follows:

Repeal
•	Rep Eaton (Gouldsboro, Hancock, Lamoine, Sorrento, Sullivan, Waltham
and Winter Harbor)
•	Rep Schatz (Blue Hill, Brooksville, Castine, Penobscot, Sedgwick and Surry)
•	Senator Raye (Addison, Alexander, Baileyville, Baring Plantation,
Beals, Beddington, Calais, Centerville, Charlotte, Cherryfield,
Codyville Plantation, Columbia, Columbia Falls, Cooper, Crawford,
Cutler, Danforth, Deblois, Dennysville, East Machias, Eastport, Grand
Lake Stream Plantation, Harrington, Jonesboro, Jonesport, Lubec,
Machias, Machiasport, Marshfield, Meddybemps, Milbridge, Northfield,
Passamaquoddy Indian Township, Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point, Pembroke,
Perry, Princeton, Robbinston, Roque Bluffs, Steuben, Talmadge,
Topsfield, Vanceboro, Waite, Wesley, Whiting and Whitneyville,
Eastbrook, Franklin, Great Pond, Osborn and Waltham, Carroll
Plantation, Drew Plantation, Lakeville)
•	Senator Sherman (Amity, Ashland, Bancroft, Blaine, Bridgewater, Cary
Plantation, E Plantation, Chapman, Crystal, Dyer Brook, Easton, Fort
Fairfield, Glenwood Plantation, Hammond, Haynesville, Hersey, Hodgdon,
Houlton, Island Falls, Linneus, Littleton, Ludlow, Macwahoc
Plantation, Mars Hill, Masardis, Merrill, Monticello, Moro Plantation,
New Limerick, Oakfield, Orient, Oxbow Plantation, Presque Isle, Reed
Plantation, Sherman, Smyrna, Westfield and Weston.)
•	Senator Weston (Belfast, Belmont, Brooks, Burnham, Frankfort,
Freedom, Islesboro, Jackson, Knox, Liberty, Lincolnville, Monroe,
Montville, Morrill, Northport, Palermo, Prospect, Searsmont,
Searsport, Stockton Springs, Swanville, Thorndike, Troy, Unity, Waldo
and Winterport.)

Broadening the range of acceptable reforms to include, for example,
RSUs modeled after school unions or "USAs":
•	Rep. MacDonald, Boothbay (Arrowsic, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor,
Georgetown, Southport and Westport Island)
•	Rep Eaton (Gouldsboro, Hancock, Lamoine, Sorrento, Sullivan, Waltham
and Winter Harbor)
•	Rep Edgecomb (Caribou)
•	Rep Schatz (Blue Hill, Brooksville, Castine, Penobscot, Sedgwick and Surry)
•	Rep Pingree (Brooklin, Deer Isle, Frenchboro, Isle au Haut, Mount
Desert (part), North Haven, Stonington, Swan's Island, Tremont and
Vinalhaven)
•	Senator Raye (Addison, Alexander, Baileyville, Baring Plantation,
Beals, Beddington, Calais, Centerville, Charlotte, Cherryfield,
Codyville Plantation, Columbia, Columbia Falls, Cooper, Crawford,
Cutler, Danforth, Deblois, Dennysville, East Machias, Eastport, Grand
Lake Stream Plantation, Harrington, Jonesboro, Jonesport, Lubec,
Machias, Machiasport, Marshfield, Meddybemps, Milbridge, Northfield,
Passamaquoddy Indian Township, Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point, Pembroke,
Perry, Princeton, Robbinston, Roque Bluffs, Steuben, Talmadge,
Topsfield, Vanceboro, Waite, Wesley, Whiting and Whitneyville,
Eastbrook, Franklin, Great Pond, Osborn and Waltham, Carroll
Plantation, Drew Plantation, Lakeville)
•	Senator Sherman (Amity, Ashland, Bancroft, Blaine, Bridgewater, Cary
Plantation, E Plantation, Chapman, Crystal, Dyer Brook, Easton, Fort
Fairfield, Glenwood Plantation, Hammond, Haynesville, Hersey, Hodgdon,
Houlton, Island Falls, Linneus, Littleton, Ludlow, Macwahoc
Plantation, Mars Hill, Masardis, Merrill, Monticello, Moro Plantation,
New Limerick, Oakfield, Orient, Oxbow Plantation, Presque Isle, Reed
Plantation, Sherman, Smyrna, Westfield and Weston.)
•	Senator Weston (Belfast, Belmont, Brooks, Burnham, Frankfort,
Freedom, Islesboro, Jackson, Knox, Liberty, Lincolnville, Monroe,
Montville, Morrill, Northport, Palermo, Prospect, Searsmont,
Searsport, Stockton Springs, Swanville, Thorndike, Troy, Unity, Waldo
and Winterport.)

Allow cost-sharing agreements (either through P&S or LD1932) or
consider other special arrangements reflecting specific regional
circumstance
•	Rep Eaton (Gouldsboro, Hancock, Lamoine, Sorrento, Sullivan, Waltham
and Winter Harbor)
•	Rep Edgecomb (Caribou)
•	Senator Mills (Anson, Athens, Bingham, Brighton Plantation, Canaan,
Caratunk, Lexington Twp., Concord Twp., Cornville, Dennistown
Plantation, Embden, Fairfield, Highland Plantation, Jackman, Madison,
Moose River, Moscow, New Portland, Norridgewock,)
•	Rep Miramant (Rockport, Camden)
•	Rep Schatz (Blue Hill, Brooksville, Castine, Penobscot, Sedgwick and Surry)
•	Rep Pingree (Brooklin, Deer Isle, Frenchboro, Isle au Haut, Mount
Desert (part), North Haven, Stonington, Swan's Island, Tremont and
Vinalhaven)

Reduce minimum number of students required for RSU
•	Rep Eaton (Gouldsboro, Hancock, Lamoine, Sorrento, Sullivan, Waltham
and Winter Harbor)
•	(Senator Mills)

Make explicit exceptions for areas with population of less than 100
per square mile
•	Rep. Clark (East Millinocket, Medway and Millinocket)
•	Senator Hastings (Baldwin, Bridgton, Harrison, Naples and Sebago,
Brownfield, Denmark, Fryeburg, Hiram, Norway, Otisfield, Oxford, Paris
and Porter.)
•	(Senator Mills)

Slow down, relax time line.
•	Rep. Clark (East Millinocket, Medway and Millinocket)
•	Rep Eaton (Gouldsboro, Hancock, Lamoine, Sorrento, Sullivan, Waltham
and Winter Harbor)
•	Rep Miramant (Rockport, Camden)
•	Rep Schatz (Blue Hill, Brooksville, Castine, Penobscot, Sedgwick and Surry)
•	Rep Pratt (Bradley, Brewer (part), Clifton, Dedham, Eddington and Holden)

Remove or lessen penalties:
•	Rep Edgecomb (Caribou)
•	Rep Miramant (Rockport, Camden)
•	Rep Schatz (Blue Hill, Brooksville, Castine, Penobscot, Sedgwick and Surry)

Limit allowable differential between mill rates of educational
contribution for municipalities within new RSUs.
•	Rep Babbidge (Kennebunk) Suggests upper mill rate differential of 2:1.

Reconcile problems of different salary structures
•	Rep Eaton (Gouldsboro, Hancock, Lamoine, Sorrento, Sullivan, Waltham
and Winter Harbor)
•	Rep Faircloth (Bangor) suggests interim subsidy for teachers
transferred to other schools under different structures)

Improve information from DoE
•	Rep Eaton (Gouldsboro, Hancock, Lamoine, Sorrento, Sullivan, Waltham
and Winter Harbor)
•	Senator Bryant (Andover, Bethel, Buckfield, Byron, Canton, Dixfield,
Gilead, Greenwood, Hanover, Hartford, Hebron, Lincoln Plantation,
Lovell, Magalloway Plantation, Mexico , Newry, Peru, Roxbury, Rumford,
Stoneham, Stow, Sumner, Sweden, Upton, Waterford, West Paris and
Woodstock) – Would like neutral parties to create feasibility studies
to RPCs

Provide incentives to improve educational programs
•	Rep Edgecomb (Caribou)  $100 per student.  Offers example from Arkansas.
•	Rep Silsby (Augusta)

Let administrative costs be borne entirely locally.  Shift this
administration portion of state subsidy toward educational programs
•	Rep Edgecomb (Caribou)

Eliminate requirement for budget validation referendum in charter municipalities
•	Rep Farrington (Buxton and Gorham)
•	Rep Harlow (Portland)
•	Rep Silsby (Augusta)
•	Rep Treat (Farmingdale, Hallowell and West Gardiner)

Eliminate requirement for budget validation referendum in "frugal"
districts where total spending is not much above EPS
•	Rep Farrington (Buxton and Gorham)

Adjust EPS labor market calculations to improve equity in rural areas,
other problems with EPS
•	Rep McFadden (Alexander, Amherst, Aurora, Beddington, Cooper,
Crawford, Deblois, Dennysville, East Machias, Eastbrook, Franklin,
Great Pond, Jonesboro, Mariaville, Marshfield, Meddybemps, Northfield,
Osborn, Pembroke, Wesley and Whitneyville,)
•	Rep Treat (Farmingdale, Hallowell and West Gardiner)

Protect towns from coerced assumption of debt
•	Rep McFadden (Alexander, Amherst, Aurora, Beddington, Cooper,
Crawford, Deblois, Dennysville, East Machias, Eastbrook, Franklin,
Great Pond, Jonesboro, Mariaville, Marshfield, Meddybemps, Northfield,
Osborn, Pembroke, Wesley, Whitneyville,)
•	Senator Mitchell (Augusta, China, Oakland, Sidney and Vassalboro)
•	Rep Treat (Farmingdale, Hallowell and West Gardiner)

Include Unorganized Territories within RSUs
•	Senator Mills (Anson, Athens, Bingham, Brighton Plantation, Canaan,
Caratunk, Cornville, Embden, Fairfield, Jackman, Madison, Moose River,
Moscow, New Portland, Norridgewock,)

Allow mechanism for towns to withdraw from RSU
•	Rep Miramant (Rockport, Camden)
•	Senator Raye (Addison, Alexander, Baileyville, Baring Plantation,
Beals, Beddington, Calais, Centerville, Charlotte, Cherryfield,
Codyville Plantation, Columbia, Columbia Falls, Cooper, Crawford,
Cutler, Danforth, Deblois, Dennysville, East Machias, Eastport, Grand
Lake Stream Plantation, Harrington, Jonesboro, Jonesport, Lubec,
Machias, Machiasport, Marshfield, Meddybemps, Milbridge, Northfield,
Passamaquoddy Indian Township, Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point, Pembroke,
Perry, Princeton, Robbinston, Roque Bluffs, Steuben, Talmadge,
Topsfield, Vanceboro, Waite, Wesley, Whiting and Whitneyville,
Eastbrook, Franklin, Great Pond, Osborn and Waltham, Carroll
Plantation, Drew Plantation, Lakeville)

Allow different weightings of municipal representation on RSU boards
•	Rep Miramant (Rockport, Camden)

Provide mechanism to appeal Department of Education rulings
•	Rep Miramant (Rockport, Camden)
•	Rep Silsby (Augusta)

Phase out loss of special education subsidy lost by minimum receivers
•	Rep Miramant (Rockport, Camden)

Provide solutions to problems of inequity and uncertainty created in
districts that contain both public and private high schools where some
towns have grandfathered choice and some don't
•	Rep Schatz (Blue Hill, Brooksville, Castine, Penobscot, Sedgwick and Surry)
•	Rep Pratt (Bradley, Brewer (part), Clifton, Dedham, Eddington and Holden)
•	Rep Pingree (Brooklin, Deer Isle, Frenchboro, Isle au Haut, Mount
Desert (part), North Haven, Stonington, Swan's Island, Tremont and
Vinalhaven)
•	Senator Rosen (Bradley, Brewer, Burlington, Clifton, Greenfield,
Eddington, Holden, Lowell, Milford and Orrington, Amherst, Aurora,
Bucksport, Castine, Dedham, Mariaville, Orland, Otis, Penobscot,
Verona.)

Allow RSUs to achieve savings by removing requirement to maintain
existing personnel contracts
•	Senator Rosen (Bradley, Brewer, Burlington, Clifton, Greenfield,
Eddington, Holden, Lowell, Milford and Orrington, Amherst, Aurora,
Bucksport, Castine, Dedham, Mariaville, Orland, Otis, Penobscot,
Verona.)

Reconcile problems created for Career Technical Centers as a result of
new RSU boundaries
•	Senator Bryant (Andover, Bethel, Buckfield, Byron, Canton, Dixfield,
Gilead, Greenwood, Hanover, Hartford, Hebron, Lincoln Plantation,
Lovell, Magalloway Plantation, Mexico , Newry, Peru, Roxbury, Rumford,
Stoneham, Stow, Sumner, Sweden, Upton, Waterford, West Paris,
Woodstock)