Hey the consolidation plan is great for many schools systems, and it is downright terrible for others. Ours is fines $250,000.00 per year when nobody will form a consolidated school with us. How dumb is that? The state is taking all that money out of our very small system to buy laptops. This is a plan that was tossed together without thought to the varied population centers and state geography. I hope this piece of drivel is overturned. The whole plan really smacks of communism: do as I say or else. We don't need government abusing its power, and this plan is a perfect example of governmental abuse of power - "for our own good".

skip for governor.....why not?

The empirical research has proven universal failure of either district or school consolidation to realize the promise of either taxpayer savings or enhanced instructional opportunity. Case studies further demonstrate the siphoning of precious education dollars away from where they will have the greatest impact (teacher:student ratios) into areas that yield a negative return (bussing -- directly proportional to achievement declines), construction (as larger communities vote to close and liquidate smaller neighbors, they require larger, more expensive facilities)and, yes, administration. (Maine consolidation law has even necessitated the expense of a spokesman to sell citizens a steaming pile of false promises.) This Commissioner's dogged pursuit of this ham-handed, thoroughly discredited policy in light of available, research-based alternatives speaks to her condescension to taxpayers and rural aspirations. The lessons of consolidation have come at such a dear cost. We owe it to our own children, to our citizens to heed them.

As I have no children and so I didn`t pay much attention to the build up to consolidation, could see that this consolidation was going to be tried no matter I thought., so I said what the heck give it a shot even though being from Northern Maine I couldn`t figure out how this would work the same for high populated areas vs. low p. arears. I can see now I was right the low populated areas got shafted as usual. Stopping funding for a school that could not find someone to consolitate with is truely outrageious if true. You know every school that I attended thru high school was an old building. Just my luck when I went to high school they built a new junior high, then when I left high school they built a new high school. What an overall waste of money all these new schools are so teachers can have the newest and better then their neighbors school. Yes it cost alot in the ineffient heating system ya ya, but you sure as heck can buy alot of oil for a Million dollors or more. I feel bad for the school systems in western and northern Maine that have this jammed down there throats. As far as better educated kids goes, just look around, all we got is a bunch of spoiled brats running around saying, ME, I , ME, I, oh that would be the parents of these kids saying that also. Thats how these spoiled kids got spoiled. There will alosnot be an overall great big new piggy bank stuffed with money in 10 yrs

You can count on my wives vote, my vote, and as many citizens I can talk into Repealing this mess! The way this consolidation was done and is still being done to us, is More Shame for Maine!

Hope I can count on you for decreasing the Excise Tax and voting Tabor in. Wow can you just imagine the shooked looks in all of goverment. It would be a wonderful going away present for Baldy. I know that is a little bit callous, but you don`t really want me say what I think about what is going on in this state form top to the bottom. Get out and Vote dang it. Drag your neighbors if you have to.

School consolidation needs to be repealed. It is true some districts will see an increase in costs if they consolidate and it was cheaper for them to vote against it and take the penalty. This is a lose lose situation for them. For those that made consolidating work with proven savings can continue their efforts even if the law is repealed.

Certainly any consolidation "savings" cited by the Commissioner will be highly localized, and more than paid for by children and taxpayers elsewhere. Central mega-facilities with long bus routes radiating outward in a hub-and-spoke fashion was once believed to be the future of education in Maine -- grueling bus rides would be worth the enhanced learning opportunities. ...an idea thoroughly discredited by states in which this has been tried. (District consolidation is touted with a wink and a nod, as the research says district consolidation inevitably leads to school consolidation.) Transportation costs, however, consistently underestimated by other wrong-headed policymakers in states such as West Virginia, consumed promised savings BEFORE fuel prices rose dramatically. Distance costs both in terms of money and student achievement, and poverty amplifies this effect. (Say nothing of the crippling construction and, indeed, higher administrative costs...). Institutionalized polarization between the administration's anointed winners and subsequent losers reflects an offensive value judgement of rural citizens and poor governance in general.

School consolidation is another poorly thought out and executed baldy idea.

I can't wait to have a vote on this. I also can't wait till the year 2012 when Baldacci is out of Office forever. This is another one of his clueless ideas and this state will be much better off without him. Then all we in this state is replace most of the other clueless Rep. in Augusta and take our lives back from them. VOTE YES ON 4 also that will be a big start in taking control of this state back BY THE PEOPLE OF THIS STATE!