November 4 Referendum Votes

Seventeen reorganization plans are expected to go to voters on November 4.  The plans were submitted and then approved by Commissioner Gendron in time for them to make it onto the local ballot.  The rest of the plans will go to vote sometime after November 4 and no later than January 30, 2009.

The 17 plans approved by the Commissioner and expected (as reported by the school districts) to go to November 4 referendum are:

• Falmouth / MSAD 51(Cumberland)
• MSAD 34 (Belfast) / MSAD 56 (Searsport)
• MSAD 1 (Presque Isle) / MSAD 32 (Ashland) / Nashville Plt.
• Mt. Desert CSD (Bar Harbor ) / Trenton / islands
• MSAD 9 (Farmington) / MSAD 58 (Kingfield) / Coplin Plt. / Highland Plt.
• MSAD 38 (Etna ) / MSAD 48 (Newport)
• MSAD 21 (Dixfield ) / MSAD 43 (Rumford) / MSAD 39 (Buckfield) / Hanover
• MSAD 5 (Rockland ) / MSAD 50 (Thomaston)
• St. John Valley
• Windham / Raymond
• MSAD 47 (Oakland) / China
• MSAD 37 (Harrington) / Jonesport / Beals / Beddington / Deblois*
• Freeport / Pownal / Durham
• Wiscasset / Alna / Chelsea / Palermo area
• Saco / OOB / Dayton
• So. Aroostook Cty (incl. Houlton, Staceyville, MSAD 14)
• Poland / Minot / Mechanic Falls

*Jonesport and Beals are expected to vote on Nov. 18, with Deblois, Beddington and the communities of MSAD 37 voting on Nov. 4.

The Tally

Of the 43 reorganization plans in some stage of progress: 3 have been approved by the Commissioner and voters; 17 are approved by the Commissioner pending voter approval; 5 have been submitted to the Department and are awaiting revisions; and 18 others are in progress.

All 34 alternative plans have been approved by the Commissioner and do not require voter approval.

There are 7 school units that are not in an approved configuration. In addition, 8 island school units and 3 Indian Education units are exempt from the requirement to consolidate but must file an alternative plan. Six of the island schools have approved plans; the other plans are in progress.

Go to the Plans and Responses page and click on the Updated Summary to see the reorganization status of all school systems in the state.

Note: It is typical for submitted plans to require one or two rounds of revisions. In a few cases, more work is needed. In no case has a plan with an approved Notice of Intent been rejected, and we do not anticipate any rejections. Often it is some language changes that are needed for the plan to be consistent with the law; sometimes the Department requests changes to ensure that the member units’ intentions for school choice or cost-sharing are reflected.

AOS vs. RSU

Currently nine regional planning committees are pursuing an Alternative Organizational Structure, a type of reorganization plan allowed by changes to the Reorganization Law passed in April 2008.  An AOS is a single unit that receives a single subsidy check and has an AOS board responsible for all core functions, while allowing for local school committees to oversee their individual schools. 

An AOS should not be confused with an “alternative plan,” in which a unit that has large enough enrollment or meets other criteria can remain on its own, though it must still prepare a plan to reorganize functions to streamline without adversely affecting educational programming.  The nine groups currently pursuing the AOS structure are:

• Mt. Desert Island region*
• St. John Valley*
• Five-Town CSD (Rockport-Camden area)
• Blue Hill Peninsula
• Boothbay region
• Machias area
• Millinocket region
• Greenville, MSAD 68, MSAD 41 and surrounding areas
• Waterville-Winslow-Vassalboro
  

*plans approved by Commissioner and awaiting voter approval

Upcoming Dates of Significance

November 4, 2008  - Seventeen reorganization plans are expected to go to referendum. Another 23 reorganization plans are expected to go to voters on or before January 30, 2008

November 14, 2008 – Deadline for submission to DOE of all remaining plans to go to Jan. 30 referendum.  This gives two to three weeks for review and revisions in order to place on the ballot
 
January 30, 2009 – Last date for referendum votes on reorganization plans

Reorganization Team Contacts

Melissa Padgett, Administrative Assistant
Jennifer Pooler, Coordinator
Ray Poulin, Project Manager
Norm Higgins, Project Manager
All four can be reached at 624-6802.
Jim Rier, Director of School Finance
624-6794
David Connerty-Marin, Director of Communications
624-6880