MADISON -- The Madison-based School Administrative District 59 board voted unanimously Monday night to resume consolidation talks with Pittsfield-based SAD 53.

SAD 59, which serves Madison, Athens, Starks and Brighton Plantation, is pursuing consolidation options in order to comply with state law and avoid a $186,000 yearly penalty.

One option will include resuming talks with Pittsfield-based SAD 53, school board members decided. Other options will include talking with other districts -- about whether to eventually consolidate or simply regionalize services.

After getting word of the decision Tuesday, SAD 53 Superintendent Michael Gallagher said he anticipated the Pittsfield school board will discuss the possibility of reopening consolidation talks with SAD 59 at its next meeting Dec. 7. He emphasized that the two districts have had a good rapport in the past, when they worked to pass a consolidation plan in June 2008 that was ultimately overturned by voters.

After the statewide vote to keep Maine's school-consolidation law, the Madison district faces a dilemma. If it does not comply with the law and consolidate with another district, it will incur the penalty and face other punitive measures. But, if the district pursues consolidation, which districts or towns will consolidate with it?

"We're surrounded by smaller towns that don't want to consolidate with us," said board member Alan Linkletter.

Geographically, the district is isolated. It borders North Anson-based SAD 74 and Bingham-based 13, but those districts are pursuing consolidation plans of their own.

"We need to find a sensitive ear," SAD 59 Superintendent Lyford Beverage said. "Geographically, it's a very interesting area."

Although SAD 53, which includes the towns of Pittsfield, Burnham and Detroit, is not physically next to SAD 59 -- the distance between the two administrative centers is 30 miles -- the Pittsfield-based district is similarly trying to find a consolidation partner.

The Pittsfield district decided recently to apply for the "doughnut hole" provision, which would exempt it from the consolidation law if it receives permission from Education Commissioner Susan Gendron. The district has not yet submitted the application.

Madison and Pittsfield districts attempted consolidation once before, which failed by about 30 votes. In June 2008, SAD 53 and each town in SAD 59, except for Madison, approved the consolidation plan. Madison's rejection of the merger was enough to fail the entire measure.

In January 2009, Madison was among several towns that rejected another consolidation plan that included SAD 53, Anson-based SAD 74 and Bingham-based SAD 13.

"The several options were voted down because the financial piece was inequitable to the voters," Beverage said.

"Let's say we want to comply with the law," said Troy Emery, school board chairman. "Anyone want to spend 200 or 300 hours to have the vote overturned again?"

SAD 59 board members voiced that Madison residents are afraid that consolidation means schools will close.

No part of the consolidation law mandates that schools close, Gallagher said. The law was presented as a means to reduce administrative costs and put those savings back into the classroom.

But, he agreed that the true savings will come not from the consolidation of office staff. If it makes sense for districts to close schools because of dwindling enrollment, the savings will come from closing those schools, he said.

However, closing a school is a local decision, he said. School boards, administration and communities would make the decision based on "whether it's the right thing educationally and the right thing financially."

If a school closed, it does not mean that students would then be bussed across large distances, he said, citing a concern of many residents. "There are no savings there," he said, particularly in regards to high fuel costs and the long time students would spend on buses.

Gallagher formerly served as superintendent of both SAD 59 and 53. He resigned from SAD 59 this summer to focus his efforts on SAD 53.

He said there was good chemistry in the past between the two districts' regional planning committees. "I said that many times while we were in the process and still think that's the case," he said.

Erin Rhoda -- 474-9534

erhoda@mainetoday.com