CHINA -- The China school board this week voted unanimously to stick with a planned consolidation with School Administrative District 47.

China made the decision despite the departure of Waterville, Winslow and Vassalboro from the regional school unit proposed originally.

Now, SAD 47 must vote on whether it wishes to be part of a scaled-down regional school unit with China.

The SAD 47 school board meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the central office.

China School Committee Chairman Charlie Clark said the China school board is convinced that consolidation with SAD 47 is the only way to survive what might be decreased state education funding in the future.

"I think as the state funding issue becomes more prominent," he said, "we need to be looking at the future and not just next year."

Clark said the China board believes merging with SAD 47 opens opportunities for cost savings, even though the regional school unit would consist of five communities, not the eight originally proposed.

School officials in Winslow and Vassalboro earlier this month voted unanimously to pull out of that proposed regional school unit. They instead are pursuing the formation of an alternate organization structure with Waterville.

An alternate organization structure is a organization in which members retain separate identities but share some functions and one superintendent.

Clark, though, said his board did not view an alternate organization structure favorably.

"Basically, it is what I call a super (school) union," he said. "I've been on school boards for many years, and I've heard from our central office over and over again how inefficient a union is because you have to do everything three times."

Clark said the next step for China is a town vote on the proposed consolidation with SAD 47.

The hope, he said, is that this can take place Nov. 4 in concert with the presidential election.

But that timetable depends on the SAD 47 vote, he said.

Clark said China cannot submit its regional school unit plan to the state until SAD 47 officially is on board.

"The worse part of it," he said, "is we are doing things right now that should have been done a year ago."

Michael Gosselin, SAD 47 board chairman, is confident the school district will approve the latest proposal.

"Two weeks ago we approved, 10-3, (a regional school unit) with China and Vassalboro," Gosselin said. "My sense is (the vote) will be 10-3 again."

Gosselin said he sees the five-town regional school unit as viable. "We are playing with smaller numbers," he said, "but I think the potential for savings is there."

Colin Hickey -- 861-9205

chickey@centralmaine.com