Table of Contents

Department of Education Commissioner Susan Gendron
Q&A before the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee

October 17, 2007 [Link to Audio File]

Below is a “table of contents” that outlines Department of Education Commissioner Susan Gendron’s recent appearance before the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee.  This table of contents was created by MMA.  Each month, Commissioner Gendron provides an update to the Appropriations Committee on the school consolidation process.  The appearance is mostly a Q&A session with legislators.

The time indicated in this outline is a reference to the timer that appears on the bottom, right-hand side of the screen while the audio file is being played.  The audio file can be found on MMA’s “Clearinghouse” website:           

• 0:24 – DOE working with small districts without partners, DOE as broker
  
  
• 1:03 – Fixed cost sharing formulas as barriers
  
  
• 2:28 – Issues concerning alternative plan requests for systems with less than 2,500 students, “due diligence” and whether there is full participation from, and outreach to, municipal participants and the general public.

• 4:15 – Outcome of the DOE audit of “highly efficient” school systems and meeting the efficiency standard.

• 4:49 – The 2-mill requirement as a barrier

• 6:07 – Question: will funding changes be part of the state budget process?

• 7:10 – Question: Explain issue where schools under EPS join with schools over EPS and the cost sharing impacts.

• 10:31 – Question: Will flexible cost sharing systems be permissive or prescribed?

• 11:43 – Question: The timing of any changes to cost sharing system and the January 15th voting deadline

• 14:10 – Question: Development of rules regarding “efficiency” exemption?

• 16:00 – Question: Review of voting deadlines, Jan 15, June 10, Nov. 4?

• 18:18 – Question: More questions on timing of approval referenda.
  
  
• 21:07 – Question: When will cost sharing flexibility actually become law?

• 22:50 – Question: Can draft of proposed legislation allowing for cost sharing flexibility become available soon?

• 28:16 – Question: How will the cost sharing changes be structured to give general authority to DOE to approve alternative formulas or use private law?

• 29:09 – Question: 2 mill minimum issue.

• 30:00 – Question: Is Yarmouth negotiating in earnest?

• 32:15 – Question: What percentage of participants are not acting in good faith?

• 35:15 – Question: How to achieve savings in transportation…distribution of routing software?

• 39:57 – Question: Are long-term superintendent contracts being approved?

• 41:33 – Question: Will these be state assistance with combined system budget analysis.

• 47:20 – Question: What assumptions is DOE using when projecting costs and savings (e.g., teacher contract impacts).

• 52:19 – Question: How to assure balanced governance on new RSU boards?

• 54:47 – Question: Will DOE overreach by demanding systems of 2,500 students where that is not politically possible?