In response to a guest column in Wednesday's newspaper, please note the Department of Education officials have never said that more than half the students in the state are now in consolidated school units.

We have been careful to say that more than 100,000 students are in communities with an approved reorganization or alternative plan. Speaking to the Appropriations Committee in August, I explained that most plans the commissioner has approved so far are alternative plans, as we would expect, since they do not require multiple school systems to come together or voter approval as reorganization plans do.

Of the 75 plans in progress, 41 are reorganization plans. Commissioner Susan Gendron has approved seven (of which four must still go to voters); 10 more have been completed and submitted to the department. We anticipate approval of most or all of them by mid-September, and they will go to voters in the local communities on Nov. 4.

Another 24 reorganization plans are in progress.

Of 34 alternative plans, Gendron has approved all but one.

We are optimistic about the progress, but I noted in my presentation that not everything is going without a hitch; some regions and individual units continue to struggle.

We have listed on the department's Web site (www.maine.gov/education/ reorg/plansandresponses.html) the status of all plans, including the nine units/regions currently without a viable plan. I encourage readers to go online to see what progress is being made.

Jim Rier, director

Finance and Operations

Maine Department of Education