After months of debate over Gov. John Baldacci's school reorganization proposal, lawmakers wrangling at the end of the 2007 legislative session produced the tangled mess of a law that directs the state's school districts to consolidate. It was, despite its convoluted aspects, pioneering legislation. If its promise is borne out, the plan will lead to fewer school districts statewide, less administration and lower costs for Maine taxpayers.

But as the many provisions of the law come into play, some of them have proved problematic, a number of them so problematic or even unworkable that parts of the law have already been revised by the Legislature.

One of those is a mandate for school districts to hold a second vote to pass the district budget -- after the budget has already been passed by town meeting or city and town council votes. We're not sure that the mandate for school budget approval by district voters is unworkable, but so far it looks like a provision in search of a purpose.

It's an additional ballot by district voters after they, or their representatives, have already had one opportunity to vote on the budget. A largely conservative bloc of lawmakers promoted this provision in the consolidation law because they saw it as an extra measure of accountability for school boards during a time of escalating school spending.

We always thought that there was enough accountability built into the system. No one in their right mind becomes a school board member because they think it's going to be a cakewalk. School board service means struggling to pay for more and more mandates with fewer and fewer dollars, understanding the complexities of both federal and state law, wrestling with the demands of parents while grappling with the often contradictory dictates of the state, negotiating contracts with techy superintendents and unions -- and everybody knows your home phone number. The accountability runs in all directions, and school board elections can be fiercely fought battles.

We're not just wondering about the utility of the second school budget vote. We're also wondering whether voters are interested in it. The vote in School Administrative District 74 -- Anson, Solon, New Portland and Embden -- drew about 11 percent of voters. Farmingdale and Hallowell's vote garnered 4 percent of district voters, and at least one of those casting a ballot had to be inveigled out of the garden by a neighbor trying to drum up votes. In Auburn, fewer than 6 percent of voters showed up for the budget ballot.

And consider this: Even if 300 voters at town meeting approve the school budget by a 250-50 vote, it's entirely possible that at this second ballot, only 15 voters could show up and defeat the budget by a vote of 10-5. How's that for a logical process?

After three years, town voters will have the chance to decide whether they want to continue having the additional referendum. We wonder how many voters will turn out for that ballot?