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The funding formula under the new consolidation plan doesn't change but how it is disbursed to districts does. The new RSU or super sized school districts will be considered one large school district. State subsidy will will be given to the new large RSU district and it will be divided up by some mysterious cost sharing formula that is supposed to be devleoped by the Regioanl planning Committees.
This cost sharing formula is supposed to not only divide the subsidy but also is supposed to set how much each town is supposed to pay. That is why some towns are finding that the new supposedly better school system is going to cost them more money. It shifts costs from town to town in the new district.
Other problems also come from the way Maine has pushed consolidation. Small towns may go from having direct control over their school to having little or no say on a regional school board because of having a limited number or very small block of votes.
RPCs also have had to deal with governance issues and also choosing between a supersized SAD called a Regional School Unit or trying to figure out a AOS which is an Alternate Administrative Structure.
The Governor and State Department of Education have pushed consolidation of governance as a way of taking money from administration and putting it into the classroom. The saving will not amount to waht they think. Administrative costs will continue to rise and people will have less say in the new school districts. It also means more stae control. The state is pulling a fast one. They can say that they are funding 55% of school. But through consolidation they are changing that 55% to less. Smoke and mirrors come to mind. Vote No on consolidation and vote yes to repeal next year!report abuse
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