By SUSAN M. COVER
Staff Writer Tuesday, January 30, 2007

At that event, members of two legislative committees will offer up at least four other proposals for trimming school administration.

The hearing -- Monday, Feb. 5 at the Augusta Civic Center -- will allow members of the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee and the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee to hear comments from the public.

Senate President Beth Edmonds, D-Freeport, said the Legislature has booked the civic center from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in anticipation of a large crowd, and to give ample time for all proposals to be presented.

Rather than consider each proposal individually, Edmonds said they will present all of the options, then ask the public to respond.

"My sense is most people will have things they hate about one and like about another," she said. "We want to see if we can get these concepts out there for folks to have a response to."

In his two-year, $6.4 billion budget, Baldacci proposes reducing the number of school districts and administrators, replacing local school boards with larger, regional boards.

Baldacci expects $65 million in savings in the second year of the budget. Over three years, he projects saving $241 million.

Other proposals are subject to change. One includes creation of 26 "planning alliances" while maintaining local school board authority. Another reduces the number of districts to 65. Still another would reduce the number to 75.

House Speaker Glenn Cummings, D-Portland, said once the hearing is over, the Education Committee will be largely responsible for putting together a proposal. If that's radically different from what's already been presented, there may be a second public hearing.

At a recent meeting with Cumberland County superintendents that he attended, the tone was about the need to move forward, Cummings said.

"The discussion wasn't really about should we or shouldn't we," he said. "There seemed to be some general consensus that some consolidation made sense."

Edmonds said while there are competing proposals on the table, she's confident that the Legislature will take some action to reduce school administrative costs.

"Some amount of consolidation is going to happen," Edmonds said. "Period. The end."

Susan Cover -- 623-1056

scover@centralmaine.com