BY COLIN HICKEY

Staff Writer

SAD 47 Superintendent James C. Morse Sr. didn't know what to expect Tuesday night when residents in five towns voted on whether SAD 47 and China should form a regional school unit.

The answer turned out to be "yes" in each community.

Morse couldn't have been more pleased.

"I think it sends a strong message out to all five communities," he said, "that everybody is on board."

The four towns in SAD 47 approved consolidation 4,275 to 3,668. In China the margin was much greater: 1,701 to 563.

SAD 47 and China weren't the only school systems to get their consolidation plan approved.

Newport-based SAD 48 and SAD 38, which covers Etna and Dixmont, will partner to become a regional school unit after all eight towns involved voted in favor of the move, although by small margins in most.

In the town of Etna, for example, the vote was 295-280.

"Probably the key to (approval) was nobody wanted to suffer the loss or penalties that would have been put on them (if they hadn't consolidated)," SAD 48 Superintendent William P. Braun said.

Braun said the fact that SAD 48 and SAD 38 have worked together for more than 40 years and share costs in many areas also played a big role in the vote.

But it was a much different story in Franklin County.

Farmington-based SAD 9 and SAD 58, which has its central office in Kingfield, rejected a plan to consolidate by more than 2,000 votes.

SAD 9 Assistant Superintendent Susan Pratt said she wasn't surprised by the results. Pratt said the district is working on developing an alternative consolidation plan, the most likely of which would be forming an RSU within the existing school system.

This is possible for SAD 9 because the district meets the student-population requirement for an RSU of at least 2,500 students.

SAD 58, a much smaller school district, does not have that option and thus could face a $125,000 penalty for failing to consolidate.

Superintendent Quenten Clark said he and his school board will meet soon to discuss what options the district has -- but soon does not mean immediately.

"Right now," Clark said Wednesday, "I'm going to relax and do a little hunting."

Morse and Braun, meanwhile, may not find much time to hunt over the next eight months.

Both superintendents have to help guide their school districts through the transition to an RSU.

Morse said one of the first tasks is electing an RSU board. In the case of SAD 47 and China, this would be a 10-person body with three representatives from Oakland, two each from Belgrade, Sidney and China and one from Rome.

Braun said the to-do list in his regional school unit probably is shorter than in most because of the long relationship between SAD 48 and 38. Even so, he said, the tasks are many and more than likely some will arise that have yet to be anticipated.

Valerie Tucker contributed to this report.

Colin Hickey -- 861-9205

chickey@centralmaine.com