MADISON -- The school district that serves Madison, Athens, Brighton Plantation and Starks is riding out economic and political waves before it hires a new superintendent.

After Superintendent Michael Gallagher resigned this summer, School Administrative District 59 intended to install a new, permanent superintendent by the beginning of November. But, because of a variety of uncertainties, the school board has opted to suspend its search. Lyford Beverage will remain the district's full-time interim superintendent likely until July of next year, he said.

The school board was in the middle of reviewing applications from six superintendent candidates when it voted unanimously Sept. 15 to suspend the search. Board members made the decision at a time of limbo for districts across the state. They did not know whether voters would repeal the consolidation law, nor did they know the scale of reduction in state funding. And, with an added concern about declining enrollment and how that would affect consolidation, they felt it would be prudent to wait until a time of greater clarity to make the hire, Beverage said.

"Having a superintendent arrive when things are unsettled and uncertain is not always fair. If certain things can get resolved, it provides a much better platform for a new superintendent to come in and move forward," he said.

The new superintendent's salary was not a reason for the suspension of the search, he said. "The new superintendent would have been making more money (than I am), but that was not a factor in the board's decision. It wasn't discussed at all," he said.

SAD 59 school board members anticipate having to cut between $160,000 and $200,000 from this year's budget because of a $38.1 million reduction to the state's K-12 education budget, Beverage said. That equals a cut of about $25,000 each month between December and June.

After the referendum vote last week to keep consolidation, districts are wondering if the Department of Education Commissioner Susan Gendron will impose legislation to provide flexibility for smaller school districts that find it difficult to meet consolidation requirements, even when joined with neighboring towns, Beverage said. Legislators expect to tackle proposed amendments to the consolidation law when they return to Augusta in January.

Madison voters have rejected school consolidation twice. In June 2008, Madison was the only town to vote against a merger with SAD 53, the district that serves Pittsfield, Burnham and Detroit. In January 2009, Madison was among several towns that rejected consolidation with SAD 53, Anson-based SAD 74 and Bingham-based SAD 13. Gallagher, who had been serving both SAD 59 and 53, resigned from the Madison district in June and returned to working full-time in the Pittsfield district.

Beverage worked part-time for six weeks this summer and then began working full-time in August, expecting to remain in the district only a few months. He has agreed to fill the interim position for a year, he said. The district intends to resume its superintendent search this spring.

Erin Rhoda -- 474-9534

erhoda@mainetoday.com