WAYNE -- Some Augusta-area special-education directors are showing interest in beginning a regional center for autistic children at Wayne Elementary School.

Special-education directors in seven central Maine school districts recently returned surveys to Maranacook-area schools Special Education Director Lew Collins meant to gauge interest in a specialized program at the public elementary school. Nearly 85 percent said they had at least some degree of interest.

Maranacook officials are considering locating a specialized program in Wayne as part of discussions on how the town can keep its school open despite a shrinking student population.

For their part, Wayne School Committee members are brainstorming ways to use space in the school formerly occupied by a Head Start preschool program. The program closed in the spring when transportation funds were cut.

As the Wayne school's student body shrinks, the town faces a steep drop in state funding because Maine bases subsidies to local districts on student populations.

Wayne's current 60-student population is down from 80 students a year ago. Next fall, student numbers will likely drop to 46, according to district projections.

Collins said he sent surveys to the special-education directors in 12 central Maine school districts and received seven responses. "What we have at this point is an apparent interest among some of the school districts," he said.

In the coming weeks, he said directors will meet to discuss what districts could expect from a Wayne program, which could open as soon as next fall.

"We will meet again and try to flesh out whether this can be a serious possibility for Wayne next year," Collins said.

In the survey, 60 percent of special-education directors said the program would be most useful if it served elementary-age students, according to Collins.

Altogether, the seven districts that answered the survey -- which Collins declined to identify -- send 21 students to specialized programs outside their districts.

Currently, central Maine school districts send students with autism and other special needs to private programs in Auburn, Bath and elsewhere. But Collins has touted a Wayne program as a cheaper, public alternative more accessible to Augusta-area students.

In survey responses, Collins said, approximately half of the special-education directors said they would be willing to send students 11 to 20 miles away. Others said 20 to 25 miles would be an acceptable distance.

"You want to keep it as close as possible, so obviously you don't have a program like what we have now where you send them 50 miles away," Collins said.

For Wayne Elementary School, the program would be an opportunity to bring in additional revenue.

Maranacook schools Superintendent Rich Abramson said he and other Wayne school officials have been meeting with community groups to show off the available space at the school.

They have discussed the possibility of an elderly care center in the space with senior care agency Spectrum Generations, Abramson said. And they have shown off the space to the Winthrop Area Chamber of Commerce as a potential retail location.

Maranacook officials plan other meetings with Southern Kennebec Child Development Corporation, which operates Head Start programs, and Peter Thompson of the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce.

"What we're doing is just brainstorming and...seeing if there are some creative things that might be done at the school," Abramson said.

He said he will present a report in November to Wayne School Committee members about possibilities for the town's school.

Matthew Stone -- 623-3811, Ext. 435

mstone@centralmaine.com