AUGUSTA -- Planners working out mergers between local school districts are turning up the pressure on legislators to pass a bill that would allow their consolidation work to continue.

Senators today are expected to vote on L.D. 1932, a bill that would allow local districts to forge their own cost-sharing agreements and apply other financial fixes to the original consolidation bill legislators passed last year.

The bill passed the House a second time last week, but includes a provision allowing an alternative school district structure that would lead Gov. John Baldacci to veto the legislation.

The cost-sharing provision has drawn no legislative opposition.

As districts around the state have waited for L.D. 1932 to pass, consolidation planning has largely come to a standstill, Department of Education spokesman David Connerty-Marin said.

Just nine of approximately 70 districts planning to consolidate met a March 28 state deadline to submit updated consolidation plans. The majority of districts -- 48 -- sent letters to the Department of Education explaining why they have been unable to move forward, Connerty-Marin said.

Planners of a regional school district that would include Fayette, Winthrop and Maranacook-area schools sent such a letter to the department. The proposed district is counting on being able to forge its own cost-sharing arrangement, rather than depend simply on property values to determine member towns' contributions to the school unit.

"We were on hold," Regional Planning Committee member Dale Glidden, of Winthrop, said in March. "We're waiting for the Legislature."

A proposed regional district of schools in Dresden, Farmingdale, Hallowell, Monmouth and Richmond would not depend on a cost-sharing arrangement, Monmouth planner Mike Rogers said in March.

Planners of a proposed district serving eight towns, including Alna, Chelsea, Somerville, Whitefield and Windsor, have not yet determined whether they need a cost-sharing arrangement, committee chair Lester Sheaffer, of Whitefield, said.

Regional planning committee members from Cumberland, Falmouth and North Yarmouth recently sent a letter to legislators urging them to allow districts to create their own cost-sharing formulas.

"Thus far, politics has taken over and a very convoluted LD 1932 has passed both houses with the possibility of a veto by the governor," the letter reads.

"L.D. 1932 is riddled with amendments completely gutting the original intent of consolidation," the letter continues. "Our plan calls for a referendum on the June ballot, but seeing no support from Augusta the wind has left our sails. We need wind."

Although Gov. Baldacci would likely veto L.D. 1932 if it passes as it's written, Connerty-Marin said he expected legislators to ultimately legalize cost-sharing for towns in regional school units.

"Pretty much all of the reorganization groupings need at least one of those fixes," Connerty-Marin said. "Everybody knows that they're all needed."

Matthew Stone -- 623-3811, Ext. 435

mstone@centralmaine.com