On Election Day, one of many things you'll be asked to vote on is school consolidation. While the Presidential Election is at the forefront of our minds, we must not forget the importance of voting against consolidation. The school consolidation vote will mean more in the long run to our communities then who gets to be President for a few years.

If you vote "Yes" to consolidate, MSAD #58 school taxes will decrease but MSAD #9 taxes will increase by nearly $1 million. In Farmington alone, taxpayers will find themselves contributing an additional $360,000 to the district. We can't expect that those communities will want to pay more to maintain small schools in distant towns. There will be pressure to reduce the school budget and avoid tax increases. Those towns seeing an increase will have four of every five votes on the school board and will want action. This is understandable and predictable.

The only way a $1 million savings can be realized is through dramatic changes to our school system. This is not about one or two staff positions. This is about closing schools, consolidating students and eliminating teachers.

Closing schools is not a good move for our communities. While it may save money, our students will suffer the consequences. Because we are able to give our students highly individualized attention, they excel. Because our students excel, our district is considered High Performing by the State. If class sizes are significantly increased, the level of education we are able to provide our students will be lost. We may also no longer have resources to continue our 1:1 laptop program and other special programs that prepare our students for a successful future after graduation.

Another deep-rooted concern I have about consolidation is the loss of the hometown school as we know it, and the long-term impact this will have on our communities. When a school closes, a town loses its anchor. New families won't want to locate to an area with no school and, over time, the population will shrink, the town will lose its vibrancy, local businesses will have fewer and fewer customers to serve, and property values will drop.

Rejecting consolidation, on the other hand, will enable our schools to continue operating under local control while we seek out better solutions. One possibility is a partnership, termed an Alternative Organizational Structure by the State, that would enable partnering schools to continue to operate independently but combine central office staff. Another nearby school system has expressed initial interest, and we are hopeful that these discussions are able to continue to progress.

Until we satisfy Commissioner Gendron, an annual penalty of $125,000 will be deducted from MSAD #58's state subsidy. Considering that this amount accounts for just over one percent of our annual budget, this as a small price to pay for maintaining the quality and excellence of our schools.

In the early stages of the consolidation planning process, all involved believed that consolidating could be a positive thing. Then the State's constantly changing rules and the repeated rejection of plans we spent months putting together bred an atmosphere of distrust and disillusionment. This damaged the good relationships our towns and school districts have shared for many years and destroyed any positive feelings we once had about consolidation. We continued work toward consolidation only because we were required to do so by law.

The MSAD #58 and MSAD #9 school boards recently cast a near-unanimous vote to reject consolidation: 20 out of 22 members voted "No." This should send a resounding message to voters that it is in the best interest of both districts to reject the current consolidation plan. When you go to the polls on Nov. 4, vote against consolidation. When you consider the impact this could have on the future of our children's education, it is the only sound decision.

Quenten Clark is the Superintendent of Schools

for MSAD #58.