PHILLIPS –- Now that the school reorganization repeal referendum has been shot down by state-wide voters, MSAD #58 superintendent Quenten Clark reports that his district may have an option to meet the standards of the law. The district’s unorganized territory students will factor is as will the UT students from across the state.

The bottom line; the district towns of Avon, Kingfield, Stratton, Strong and Phillips will propose to partner its plantations and UT townships to form one district of equal voting representation. Townships could be treated and included like district towns in terms of everything from funding formulas to representation on the school board.

However, Clark has added a new component to meet the standards of the law and save money. That component is the partnership of the entire Unorganized Territories in the State. MSAD #58 could be a state-wide dis- trict and called something like RSU UT 58, Clark said.

There are many unanswered questions concerning his consolidation concept and it will need action within the legislature. Action of the legislature in almost every case is now required. MSAD #58 is running out of options in looking for consolidation partners or ways to become exempt. However Clark feels that this plan meets the entire spirit and intent of Governor John E. Baldacci’s initiative to reduce bureaucracy and save money to put cash back into the classrooms for education.

Clark says the concept is something that he’s been thinking and talking about for years.

It started again when the Department of Education denied the allowance for the district to reorganize with Coplin and Highland plantations which were proposed as new district partners. Currently these plantations have their own school boards and superintendents and tuition their students to the district. Although it was an effort to reduce administration, the denial was justified by the DOE because the district did not meet the minimum standard of 1,250 students.

In the past, Clark has requested if the 140 students who tuition in from the UT could be counted in enrollment figures and that was denied by the DOE by the language of the law.

The combination of both issues with the assistance of Rep. Thomas Saviello, a bill is pending before a legislative committee to see if it will make it to the floor when they convene in January. This may happen this next session, but if not then, then the next session, Clark said.

According to a 2005 report, the UT has over 1,100 students, 948 are tuitioned to local schools and 197 attend one of five of their own elementary schools. The administrative component is a five-person central administrative office located within the DOE offices in Augusta.

If a merger occurs, Clark explained, we can consolidate central administration and eliminate these five state employee positions. Being closer to the majority of the UT, having the highest percentage of tuitioned students and experience in dealing with UT, Clark said, they can certainly run the entire district as good or better then the state office.

The legislature is the governing body for schools and district decisions of the UT.

“What’s not to like about this plan; what’s wrong with it?” Clark asked. The consolidation plan cuts administrative costs in half, it removes the $130,000 penalty for not consolidating, it potentially saves the state millions of dollars in state subsidy, it meets the minimum requirement of students and it puts money back in the classroom, he said. It also provides a first-time voice on the board for the UT at a time that if nothing happens, these folks may not be that happy in the future. It also allows for a district-wide referendum process which might keep schools from closing for all partners. Currently, the five UT schools are constantly facing school closure issues with no say on the matter by its residents.

With declining enrollment and subsidy cuts, the students from the UT will be the first to get shuffled around the district to balance class size, Clark said. Currently these families have no say or right to decide where their children are educated. As an example, students from Freeman may need to attend the Stratton school to keep schools open for another year in the future. Some remember these types of shuffle threats from over a decade ago.

There are so many details that need to be worked out with this plan and if allowed by the legislature, a Regional Planning Committee would need to be established, Clark explained. How UT representation would be determined is in question, he said.

This RPC would work out details like financing, board representation, transportation issues, the referendum process, etc.

The savings could be significant to North Franklin County. “Or the savings just might be for us that we save closing our schools. The savings for them might be saving their schools from closing,” Clark explained.

If funding formulas relate to valuation, the UT is on the books for over $6 billion next year. MSAD #58 district towns represent about half a billion.

Based on its valuation, the UT does not receive any state subsidy. If the units consolidate, a loss of $3 million in state subsidy might not come to this area. However a $3 million dollar saving might be assumed at the state level.

“How can the governor come out and say he does not like this plan,” Clark said. It’s right in line with the overall intent of his initiative.

As a political windfall, Clark explained, think of that red and blue map of the state that shows who has consolidated and who has not. There is unorganized territory located within 12 of the 16 counties. However municipal services are only required in nine of these counties. In all, the UT makes up 9.3 million acres in the state and would show a huge increase in geographical area.

The new school district, certainly the largest geographically in the state, would be located in Franklin, Aroostook, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset Waldo and Washington counties.

Like any reorganization effort, the plan will be developed by the RPC, approved by the DOE and local school boards and go before the voters in each community that’s affected.