SALEM –- The MSAD #58 school board met last Thursday, Jan. 21 in a regularly scheduled meeting. A topic of interest was a recent meeting that Superintendent Quenten Clark had with Governor John E. Baldacci and Department of Education Commissioner Susan Gendron last Tuesday, Jan. 19.

Clark was accompanied by Freeman resident and Saddleback president and CEO Warren Cook.

Clark reported that a bill sponsored by Rep. Tom Saviello was considered by the legislative leadership as worthy of discussion. This means legislative action might occur regarding a MSAD #58 consolidation topic this week. Or at least it will reach the Education Committee as the next step.

Clark said the bill, if passed, would allow Coplin and Highland plantations to merge and become members of the MSAD #58 district.

“The governor and commissioner told us that they will not oppose them consolidating with Highland and Coplin,” Clark explained. If this happens, Clark said, the district may avoid the $130,000 penalty in lost subsidy for not comply- ing with the law, even though they still do not meet the minimum student requirement. An exception of some sort would be granted.

Clark said that Saviello couldn’t help but add the state’s unorganized territories on the bill for additional consideration.

For years, Clark explained, he’s been discussing the opportunity to consolidate either his UT students that are currently tuitioned in his district, UT students from all of Franklin County, or UT students from across the entire state.

He explained that his administration office could manage the state’s entire UT students thereby eliminating the administration five to six positions at the state level. Currently UT administration is run out of the DOE offices in Augusta and Clark would love to see it eliminated.

The state’s saving could range from hundreds of thousands to millions depending on how funding formulas pan out, he has said.

“They (Baldacci and Gendron) were interested in doing something differently with the unorganized territories. I think the commissioner is going to form a committee to try to figure this out.”

“The question will come down to, do we leave it the way it’s always been? Do we consolidate the unorganized with one district?”

Clark said that the commissioner asked if he’d take over all of the administration of the unorganized territories. “I said, oh yeah, I’d take the whole thing,” Clark reported.

Other options, Clark said was to somehow divide the UT up into districts or by counties.

Clark attended and testified at a public hearing last Monday, Jan. 25 before the Education Committee.

In other discussions in Augusta, “the governor recognized that Carrabassett Valley is not going to consolidate with anybody,” Clark reported.

Clark also recognized that the consolidation process that was underway in MSAD #74 failed.

“At this point my feeling is that we are doing pretty well,” Clark said of the initiative to merge with Coplin and Highland.

Clark mentioned another bill that says if you manage eight or more municipalities, you’re off the hook in terms of the consolidation law. Currently we have five here and if you add Coplin and Highland that makes seven, he said. “There is also a movement that if you manage a specific number of UT students, that could count as number eight.”

“There are a couple of routes here that will get us out of this nightmare of a consolidation thing. So I think actually it was a real positive meeting. I do think he (Baldacci) will allow this to happen and hopefully this will go through the legislature and life will be good.”

Clark said he’s had recent meetings with the Stratton selectmen, Kingfield and Strong selectmen and budget committees and earlier that day with the CV school board.

“What we are doing is just trying to identify what the problems are. There seems to be a tremendous loss in state subsidy, while at the same time a rapid decline in enrollment in the schools. Also troubling are recent spikes in valuation,” Clark explained. “My goal is at these meetings at the least is to get people thinking that there is a problem and we’re going to have to solve that problem, both short and long term.”

“The meetings have been relatively successful,” Clark said. “The crowds have been quiet and relatively respectful. They are concerned about their local schools as are we.”

“The nature of the problem is pretty undeniable. This is not something that any individual or group of individuals has pushed on us. The number of kids is going away and the money from the state is going away.”

Clark also reported that he thought the DOE would be sending a spread sheet soon that will show the first projections of the state’s subsidy amounts and relative cuts.

In other business, Clark announced that Sarah Strunk is running for a seat on the school board in Stratton. Sarah Woods is also running for that same seat as the incumbent candidate.

Members also preliminarily approved “in concept” a request for a senior field trip. Members questioned why representative were so aggressive in planning such a far away trip.

Mt. Abram principal Brenda Stevens explained the itinerary. The seniors themselves are planning a two-day trip including a cruise on Boston Harbor and night in a Boston area hotel. The next day would include a trip to Canobie Lake Park followed by a stop at the Maine Mall in South Portland.

Chairman Mike Pond made a motion to accept the trip in concept, but asked the senior representatives to come back to them with more detail.

In other casual conversations that evening, Pond tried to encourage board members to coordinate their vacation times in April. This April in particular there will be important meetings regarding the budget and Pond explained he’d like to have the full committee present in the process, if possible.