Plan to reorganize the Mount Desert Island School System

Frequently Asked Questions (8/04/2008)

Q: A while back wasn't the state talking about having all Hancock County schools consolidated and administered from Ellsworth? Is that still a possibility?

A: You're recalling the Governor's original consolidation proposal from two years ago.  After the two following legislative sessions, our local legislators and educators were able to get the final version of the law substantially changed to the point where the current MDI school union is a model for one kind of allowable reorganization.

Q: So, we don't have to consolidate?
A: No, we don't. But we do have to reorganize our central office governance to comply with the terms of the new law. And we have to present that reorganization to the voters for their approval. The Plan and the Inter-local agreement are the two documents that will accomplish that.

Q: So, if we approve the reorganization plan, which schools will be in MDI's new system?

A: All of the schools that are currently within School Union 98 – (Conners-Emerson in Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Elementary in Northeast Harbor, Pemetic in Southwest, Tremont, Islesford, Frenchboro, Swan's Island, and the MDI High School) along with Trenton's elementary school which currently is part of Union 92.

Q: Who will own and govern the schools after MDI schools reorganize?

A: In all cases, school ownership will remain as it is at present. Each elementary school will stay the property of its municipality. The MDI High School will remain the property of its trustees. Every school will continue to be governed by the same board it had before the reorganization.

Q: Who will employ the teachers?

A: Teachers will continue to be employed exclusively by each local school.

Q: How will our schools be different afterward?

A: In almost every aspect, our schools will continue to operate as they do at present. The same schools will operate with their current same staff in the same buildings.  Your local school boards will continue to govern and maintain oversight for each school, just as they do now.  If you have a concern about your school, you'll call the same people you do now.  Curriculum, school calendars, collective bargaining, special education, transportation and technology all will be administered by a single central office in conjunction with local boards and administrators.  This is mostly as the Union 98 central office now does.

Q: Will there be any difference in school budgeting and finance?

A: The school budgets will be developed by local boards as they are now.  Budgets will get reviewed by the same municipal warrant committees and will get approved at town meeting as they do now. However, the new central administration budget will have its own separate review and approval process. Also, for every school budget, the new law also requires an additional separate written budget validation referendum for the next three years.

Q:  Does the school consolidation law change the funding formula for MDI High School?

A:  No.  The Mount Desert Island Regional High School was formed by a Private and Special law passed by the Legislature and the school consolidation law does not alter Private & Special laws.

Q:  How could the funding formula for MDI High School be changed?

A:  The law that formed MDI High School and its funding formula can only be changed by the methods permitted within that Private and Special law and by the Legislature itself. Should the four towns that comprise the high school district (Bar Harbor, Mount Desert, Southwest Harbor, and Tremont) agree to change the funding formula, this would be done through a separate political process involving the Legislature.

Q: So, under this reorganization, what happens to high school students from the other towns in the MDI Regional School System – Cranberry, Frenchboro, Swan’s Island, and Trenton?

A:  By law, these towns all maintain their current options for school choice.  They can tuition their students either to MDI High School or to any other state-approved secondary school.  These relationships also are unchanged by the reorganization plan.

Q: How will property taxes be affected?

A: MDI's school reorganization will almost certainly have no impact either way on local taxes.   School operations and budgets will be unchanged.  Some modest expenses in enlarging the central office administration to include Trenton will be offset by corresponding efficiency of scale in operations.

Q: How will our schools be better after reorganization?

A: As always, MDI schools will continue to work collaboratively to provide the most effective, coordinated educational programs for all MDI area students.  This plan represents a natural evolution towards efficient administrative cooperation while retaining all the real and essential qualities of community involvement and local oversight.

Q: Pemetic and Tremont have already begun discussions about sharing or combining school services.  How does this reorganization affect their prospects?

A: This plan is no barrier towards any sort of local joint agreement.  This would be a matter for Tremont and Southwest Harbor to decide.

Q: What are the next steps in the reorganization process?

A: Along with the reorganization plan, another component document called an ‘inter-local agreement’ which defines the duties of the central office and the powers and duties of the board that will govern that has been drafted and will be presented, with the plan, to each and every school board for its approval before the end of August. Incorporating this agreement, the reorganization plan then will be sent to the Commissioner of Education for her approval. On election day, all voters will be asked to approve this reorganization plan. If all that is completed successfully, a new central office governing board will have to get to work right away because a new central office budget for the 09-10 school year will have to be acted upon by December. By law, school unions cease to exist as of July 1, 2009. By then the new board will be fully in place.

Q: Why are we doing this? Why don't we just repeal the law, --or pay the penalties, --or take our schools and make them private?

A: No one has worked harder to oppose the ill-conceived aspects of the original law than MDI community members.  But thanks to the efforts of our citizens and legislators, we were able to get the law changed in a way that fundamentally allows us to keep all the essential parts of our school operations working as they do at present.  This plan in most ways represents an overwhelming victory for the way MDI communities work.  We should all be proud of this and, more importantly, be eager to get back to the fundamental work of educating our children.  Generally, we conclude that approving this plan is the most direct route back to this real business.

Q: How were these documents developed?  Are these some sort of boilerplate mandated by the state?

A: This agreement and reorganization plan was built locally by the MDI Reorganization Planning Committee which is composed of local citizens, school board members, and elected municipal officers.  While we’ve had expert legal advice throughout the process, it’s very much our own work.

Q: What happens if the law is repealed?

A: Essentially, nothing.  If the law were repealed, the past two years of work go in the wastebasket and all reorganization plans statewide would move into a conceptual limbo.  On MDI, most are not anticipating general repeal as a likely outcome and, given that our schools are already bearing the brunt of two years of administrative distraction, we don’t see more of that uncertain future at this point as a happy outcome.

Q: What happens if one of the towns votes down the reorganization plan?

A: If a majority of voters in any of the four MDI towns of Bar Harbor, Mount Desert, Southwest Harbor, or Tremont vote against the reorganization plan, the plan will not go forward and the whole region will have to begin the reorganization discussions all over again.  If the plan is approved by a majority of voters in each of these four towns, the plan will go forward for a system that includes at least these four towns along with any of the other towns in which a majority voted in favor of the plan.  If a majority of voters in any of the towns of Cranberry Isles, Frenchboro, Swan’s Island, or Trenton vote against the plan, then that town will be on its own to figure out how to administer its school in compliance with the reorganization law.  The outer islands could conceivably contract for administrative services without incurring penalties, although their overall administrative costs would likely be distinctly higher. But any of the other towns opting out would face additional penalties of lost subsidy from the state.

Q: What if I have other questions?

A: For information about school consolidation issues throughout the state, go to mdischools.net. Information specific to MDI's reorganization can be found at mdischools.net/RPC.  Questions and comments can be forwarded to the MDI RPC by email addressed to RPC@mdischools.net.