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School Administrative District Consolidation (Public Law 1932) Update

From: Ron McAllister, For the CWC Board

To: School Merger Forum Participants

Date: 1 January 2008

I am writing to you in my role as corresponding secretary for the Community Wellness Coalition of the KEYS Region and because you have expressed an interest in the subject of school administrative district consolidation (Public Law 1932).  Because of your interest in consolidation, the CWC thought you would be interested in knowing where the process stands at the moment.

Some sixty-three bills proposing changes (or exemptions) to the law were filed during the inter-session.  The Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs considered these items and in December voted in favor of a Department of Education bill that will remove some financial barriers under the current law.

With the Legislature about to reconvene, it is clear that the bill, LD 1932, will go before a full House and Senate vote in January.  Prior to that, however, there will be several public meetings of the Joint Committee all of which will be held in Room 202 in the Cross State Office Building in Augusta.  

. The first of these will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday (January 2nd).  This will be primarily an organizational meeting for the committee, giving the members an opportunity to review the implementation and to develop a work plan detailing the main issues involved in implementation.

. The second meeting will be held at 1:00 on Thursday (January 3rd).  At that time, the Commissioner of Education (Susan Gendron) will give a preliminary report on implementation.  We presume that she also will discuss what the Department has garnered by way of public reaction to date.

. The third meeting will be held the next day (January 4th) at 9:00 a.m.  The purpose of this session will be to allow those legislators who filed one of the reform bills to appear and to discuss their views on LD 1932.

It is unlikely that public input will be requested at these meetings.  However, we are told that later in January, there will likely be public hearings before the bill comes to the floor for a full vote. The CWC will do its best to keep you informed of developments with LD 1932.

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