Staff Writer
A milestone was reached last week in the state-mandated effort to consolidate eight school systems when the central Aroostook group voted to form a “regional school unit.” The vote came after discussion, which at times appeared heated, regarding two proposed organizational structures that seemed to pit the smaller communities against the larger municipalities.
Regionalization Planning Committee No. 2 is composed of the school districts in Caribou, Caswell, Fort Fairfield, Limestone, Stockholm, New Sweden, Westmanland and Woodland. Members of those communities’ school committees and representatives of the general public are attempting to form a consolidated organization as mandated by the Maine Legislature.
Charles Anderson, a public member at large representing Stockholm, illustrated the difference between the two proposed structures during the June 26 session. Anderson also is the longtime business administrator of SAD 1 in Presque Isle.
Anderson distributed two sheets of paper; each depicted the organizational diagram of the two proposals. The RSU chart was a quarter sheet size with four boxes showing the flow of responsibility stemming from an RSU board down through the administrative staff, the schools’ principals and the school staff.
The second chart, which was on a legal-sized sheet, illustrated that an “alternative organizational structure,” where each town would have its own school board. The smaller board would report to a larger board. One superintendent would administer the entire school unit.
Anderson titled the flow chart “Customized Homegrown Alternative Organizational Scheme,” or CHAOS.
Earlier in the meeting the group’s co-chairman Andrew McNeally began presenting an AOS form proposed by Fort Fairfield representatives.
“I’m personally sick and tired of coming to meetings, sitting on my butt and doing nothing,” McNealy said. “Make a decision and live with it.”
Dan Foster, town manager of Fort Fairfield, said that the AOS plan could treat each town as a “department” and the consolidation effort should concentrate on sharing a central office.
‘This may not be as efficient, but it gives everyone a sense of control,” Foster said.
Caribou’s superintendent, Frank McElwain, presented the RSU proposal. He said that such a structure has flexibility for local school committees.
The size of the ultimate governing board would range from 23 for an AOS to 14 on the RSU, according to officials.
Various speakers agreed that to have eight separate boards could be difficult for one superintendent to handle.
“It’s a lot of plates to keep spinning in the air,” said Mary Jane McCalmon from the Maine Department of Education, who is helping the group form its new administrative structure.
McCalmon said that an AOS would require more staff in a budget office to keep the finances straight.
David Strainge, a Stockholm board member, pointed out that a RSU would allow broader academic and other offerings to students across the new district.
“It’s very attractive as long as we continue to have a voice at the table,” Strainge said.
After a brief recess, a motion was made by Foster to start with a regional school unit. Anderson offered a second.
As the unanimous vote was taken, applause erupted from the audience observing the proceeding.
Co-chairman Sam Collins suggested that subcommittees, with resident expertise, be utilized to handle the details in the new structure.
The next meeting has yet to be scheduled.
The vote comes after several meetings that failed to reach a consensus on how to meet the state mandate to consolidate school administration. During a meeting in Caswell early in June several motions for both proposed structures failed for lack of a consensus.
