By ELIZABETH COMEAU

Staff Writer

Incomplete. That's the status of most school reorganization plans.

Today was the deadline for schools statewide to tell the state who they planned to partner with and how those partnerships would cut administrative and transportation costs.

But as of Friday, the bulk of the plans filed with the Maine Department of Education failed to meet the 13 criteria set by the state. Those criteria are supposed to estimate savings and detail how the proposed School Administrative Units would blend existing personnel, property and debts.

Spokesman David Connerty-Marin said the education department expects to see more than a few incomplete plans.

"That's OK," Connerty-Marin said. "We are aware that not all plans will have all 13 pieces set. We're looking for a good-faith submission from all those units on what they've been able to accomplish, which will also indicate whether they've complied with the law."

He said he doesn't think the incomplete plans will pose a problem or a delay for the state in implementing the law. "We'll send back the plans with comments and suggestions and then probably ask people to resubmit them in 30 days," he said.

Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a school consolidation law aimed at shrinking the number of school districts in Maine from 290 to 80.

Since then, schools have scrambled to pair with neighboring or nearby districts. It's not been an easy task.

One of the biggest hurdles has been blending finances. How costs are shared between consolidating districts is determined by a state formula that factors in student population, property values and other factors.

After considering that formula, officials in some school systems -- including Augusta and Gardiner -- decided not to consolidate with some potential partners because of the extra costs they would have incurred.

In fact, the region's two largest school districts, Augusta and Gardiner, are proposing to go it alone, even though the state indicated early on that it would reject the plans.

Augusta will seek to remain on its own and file an alternative plan.

Augusta officials said they found few local schools willing to consider consolidating with Augusta. And in the few cases where other districts were willing to talk about consolidating with Augusta, officials said, a consolidation would have cost Augusta additional tax dollars compared to just remaining on its own.

Augusta explored the finances of potential consolidations with schools including: SAD 11, Chelsea, Palermo, Somerville, Whitefield and Windsor.

"In any of the aforementioned scenarios, the Augusta School Department would see a substantial increased cost to its taxpayers," Augusta Superintendent Cornelia Brown said.

Augusta's previous consolidation plan was also to remain on its own. But that plan was rejected by the state in September because it left Augusta with too few students to meet the state-mandated minimum of 2,500 students per district.

SAD 11, which serves Gardiner, West Gardiner, Pittston and Randolph, also plans to submit an alternative plan to remain on its own, said Superintendent Paul Knowles.

SAD 11 officials had fairly in-depth discussions about consolidation with Augusta and School Union 44, which includes Litchfield, Wales, and Sabattus. However, a merger between SAD 11 and Augusta could have cost Augusta taxpayers more and a merger between SAD 11 and Union 44 could have cost SAD 11 taxpayers more, according to SAD 11 board members who worked on consolidation efforts.

SAD 11's first attempt at submitting an alternative plan, like Augusta's, was rejected by the state Department of Education in September because it would not create a district of at least 2,500 students.

The Maranacook towns of Readfield, Wayne, Manchester and Mount Vernon have proposed partnering with Winthrop and Fayette.

"We're going to submit a plan for which we've got about seven out of the 13 items roughed out," said Harvey Hayden, regional facilitator for Maranacook Area Schools.

In Richmond, O'Neil LaPlante, chairperson of the Regional Planning Committee, said they too are submitting an incomplete plan. Richmond has proposed consolidating with Monmouth, Hallowell, Farmingdale and Dresden.

"We've taken care of our governance and we're working on our financial set-up and so forth," LaPlante said. "A number of other things are in process and this is just a way to let the department know we're working on them."

Litchfield will stay with its School Union 44 partners of Sabattus and Wales, and the three towns plan to reorganize the school administrative unit into a single regional school unit.

That plan reflects a letter of intent filed earlier this year, which was found out of compliance by the education commissioner. Litchfield, like others, will also submit an incomplete plan for review.

"We are unable to find any other partner to consolidate with," said Robert English, chairman of the consolidation committee. "We believe we are, in fact, a donut-hole scenario. It is our greatest hope the commissioner will understand and approve our reorganization."

Jefferson will partner with CSD 49 (Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Southport) and School Union 74 (Nobleboro, Newcastle, Bremen, South Bristol, Bristol and Damariscotta).

Jefferson had initially submitted a letter of intent with three consolidation plans, including a six-town regional school unit with Palermo, Somerville and Windsor. But Boynton said the town decided to join with coastal communities.

Whitefield plans to join with Wiscassett, Alna, Westport Island, Windsor, Somerville and Palermo. Whitefield belongs to School Union 132, Palermo and Somerville and Windsor make up Union 133 and the other schools, he said were municipalities.

"It's been a challenge, but there's a lot more ahead of us," said Elaine Nutter, Union 132 assistant superintendent. "By the time it's completed and ready for the voters, a lot of work needs to be done and a lot of details worked out."

School Administrative District 16, which serves Hallowell and Farmingdale, submitted a consolidation plan to form a new administrative unit with Monmouth, Richmond and Dresden under the state school consolidation law. Superintendent Donald Siviski said the school systems received approval of its letters of intent back in September.

School Administrative District 40, which includes the towns of Friendship, Union, Waldoboro, Warren and Washington, had looked at joining other school units.

But Bonnie Micue, chairman of the SAD 40 School Board, said the district is one of the state's "doughnut hole" schools and has been given permission to "stay intact as a district." Under the so-called "doughnut-hole exemption," some districts could be exempt from consolidation if they are unable to find partners in their area as long as they can demonstrate they made good faith efforts to find one.

"We'll be a stand-alone district," Micue said. "We fell into the doughnut-hole category and the commissioner gave us approval."

She said the decision will cost the district money. It stands to lose more than a half-million dollars in state subsidies next year.

Chelsea had hoped to pair with Augusta, but was rebuffed by that district. Instead, it will join with seven other towns in the Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit -- Windsor, Palermo, Somerville, Whitefield, Alna, Westport and Wiscasset. Chelsea, which has about 425 resident students, will send a letter to the state saying its consolidation plan is in progress.

Elizabeth Comeau -- 623-3811, Ext. 433

ecomeau@centralmaine.com