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BY MATTHEW STONE
Staff Writer 11/05/2009

See town-by-town election results. Page B3.

BY MATTHEW STONE

Staff Writer

The experiences of Augusta-area school districts as they've attempted to comply with Maine's school district consolidation law largely influenced votes Tuesday on Question 3, education observers said Wednesday.

With a few exceptions, the towns in more than 100 districts statewide that rejected local school district mergers voted to repeal the 2007 consolidation law, which sought to combine Maine's 290 school districts into 80.

Those districts face more than $5 million in state-imposed penalties starting in July.

The desire to repeal the law also extended into some newly merged districts.

However, Augusta-area towns and cities, where consolidation didn't force major changes, largely voted to uphold the law, unofficial election returns show. Ultimately, 58 percent of voters statewide chose to uphold the consolidation statute, according to unofficial results.

East of Augusta, seven of the eight towns that make up the Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit voted to scrap the consolidation mandate. The newly merged school unit serves students from Alna, Chelsea, Palermo, Somerville, Westport Island, Whitefield, Windsor and Wiscasset.

"I think the people in the particular district are very disappointed in what's happening, and in the district itself," said Stanley Lane, a former Westport Island selectman.

Voters in the Sheepscot district have been unable to agree on a budget since June, despite three attempts. The proposed budgets would have increased local tax contributions 53 percent in Alna and 20 percent in Westport.

"I think they're very different towns with very different needs, and I don't think anybody's satisfied with that particular RSU," Lane said, referring to the district's expansive geography.

With the consolidation law surviving a repeal attempt, however, the eight towns have to remain together for now.

"I personally ... feel that consolidation, if we can make it work and get a budget passed, is the way to rein in costs, administrative costs," said Hilary Holm, a Sheepscot school board member from Whitefield. "That being said, administrative costs have never been a huge part of our budget."

The district's future "really depends on how much these towns can come together to improve education and try to reduce costs," she added.

In another newly merged district, Hallowell-based Regional School Unit 2, two of five member towns voted to repeal consolidation. Still, 56 percent of the district's voters supported upholding the statute, according to unofficial results.

Voters in Monmouth -- where residents absorbed a $300,000 property tax increase this year -- and Richmond voted narrowly in favor of repeal, while Dresden, Farmingdale and Hallowell voters supported the consolidation law.

"The transition from Dresden into RSU 2 was much more of an easy flow than it was for Richmond and Monmouth," said Gary Getchell, a Dresden school board member. Dresden, he noted, has long sent students to Hall-Dale High School.

As the five towns continue working together, Getchell said, school officials need to show voters that education is improving and that costs are under control as a result of consolidation.

"If you tried to do it as separate systems, it would cost you more," he said.

"I firmly believe students are going to get a better education in the long run," said Rich Howard, a Monmouth school board member. "It's going to take some time for people to see what the benefits really are."

Voters in Winthrop largely bucked the trend in voting on Question 3.

After voting in January to reject a merger with the Maranacook and Fayette school districts, Winthrop residents narrowly voted to keep the consolidation law.

Winthrop Board of Education Chairman John Mitchell said the town, which faces $76,000 in consolidation-related penalties, now will work on finding a merger partner with Question 3 settled.

Matthew Stone -- 623-3811, ext. 435

mstone@centralmaine.com

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