By SUSAN M. COVER
Staff Writer Friday, January 26, 2007

But the Maine Heritage Policy Center disagrees with the governor about how to do it.

Calling its proposal a "consolidation compromise," teacher and former state legislator Stephen Bowen told a group of Republican lawmakers Thursday at the Statehouse that other states have successfully saved money by creating "education service districts."

At the most basic level, the districts allow school units to choose to work together to save money on transportation, food service, administration, payroll, special education, teacher training and other services, said Bowen, of Rockport.

Local school boards would stay in place, and local school board members would serve on a larger district board to oversee the cost-saving measures.

"This is a proven thing," said Bowen, an adjunct scholar with the policy center. "It's been done in other states."

Bowen presented the plan a day after Baldacci and Education Commissioner Susan Gendron listened to criticism from parents, superintendents and school committee members at a Lewiston forum. Baldacci and Gendron are proposing to reduce the number of school districts from 290 to 26, eliminate central office staff and get rid of local school boards.

His plan is estimated to save $65 million in the first year, $241 million over three years.

Bowen, a former member of the Legislature's Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, said he believes the state should aim for $65 million in savings in the first year.

Yet he believes the governor's plan falls short because there's value in keeping local school boards in place, which in turn keeps parents involved with their children.

"The local control issue is sometimes set aside as provincialism," he said. "But research shows local control and parental involvement make better schools."

Bowen's proposal joins at least four other alternatives to the governor's plan, which is included in Baldacci's two-year, $6.4 billion state budget. A public hearing on all of the plans is scheduled for Feb. 5 at the Augusta Civic Center.

Unlike other options, the policy center's proposal hasn't been submitted as legislation. Bowen said the Legislature is likely to take elements from several plans to come up with a solution.

And while many groups have opposed some of the details in the Baldacci plan, most agree that something needs to be done to cut administrative costs.

Maine has an administrator for every 393 students. The national average is one for every 816 students.

Earlier this week, the Maine Public Spending Research Group, a nonpartisan Portland-based organization, praised Baldacci for the proposal but raised questions about whether it would save as much money as advertised.

And the policy center, which has been critical of Baldacci's Dirigo Health program and opposed him on tax and spending issues, made it clear it believes the governor is right to press for savings in school administration.

"Those are achievable goals the governor has set out," Bowen said. The full policy center report can be found online at http://www.mainepolicy.org.

Susan Cover -- 623-1056

scover@centralmaine.com