Commissioner approves SADs 34, 56 reorganization plan

by Beth Staples, as published at Villagesoup.com, July 11, 2008
Beth is an Editor with The Republican Journal

AUGUSTA (July 11): The Belfast and Searsport area schools are the latest to receive state approval to reorganize their school districts into one.

Education Commissioner Susan A. Gendron sent notices to SAD 34, which includes the communities of Belfast, Belmont, Morrill, Northport, Searsmont and Swanville, and SAD 56, which includes the communities of Frankfort, Searsport and Stockton Springs, this week that she had approved the plan. The school districts are expected to ask voters to approve the plan at referendum Nov. 4.

“Many people put in many hours to come up with a plan that will best meet the needs of students in the two school systems,” Gendron said. “I commend them for their excellent work.”

SAD 34 Superintendent Bruce Mailloux said the two districts found each had strengths to share with each other. And he praised the approach taken by the two school districts.

“I was impressed by the cooperation and the compromising and the willingness to work together,” Mailloux said. “We had a very good working group.”

He said the groups started by asking “is there really a benefit” and “what’s in the best interest of the kids in the area.” The combined units will have about 2,600 students.

The two districts were assisted in the process by Ray Freve, a facilitator provided by the Department of Education, who was asked to serve as chair of the reorganization planning committee for the districts. Freve was recently hired by SAD 56 to serve as part-time interim superintendent until June 30, 2009. If approved by voters, the new regional school unit will become operational July 1, 2009.

The reorganization plan is the sixth to be approved by Gendron, in addition to the 32 alternative plans also approved. The School Administrative Reorganization Law passed in 2007 and amended in 2008 calls for reducing the number of school units in Maine from 290 to no more than 80. Department officials said they believe the state is still on target to make that number.

A listing of all reorganization and alternative plans approved by the Commissioner, as well as information about the reorganization law and implementation, may be found at maine.gov/education/reorg.