[Local-Maine-Schools] School District Reorganization Bill-- LD 385

[Dick Atlee]

Here's some Small-Schools correspondence relating to the School District 
Reorganization Bill (LD 3851). I apparently missed the message that 
started the exchange.

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Stearns [mailto:pstearns at sad4.com]
Sent: Friday, April 29, 2011 1:23 PM
To: perf3170rag at myfairpoint.net

Dick et al,

My one comment would be that there appears to be no way to 
retro-actively attain funding for projects.  An example will be our 
adult education cooperative which serves 22 towns.  During our start up 
years we applied for Efficiency Funds but they were "not available".

I am not convinced that peeling 1.5 million off the top of GPA for 
competitive grant "efficiency funding" would be good practice, 
particularly when the state is not fully funding EPS.

Paying out of GPA to save money is rather counter intuitive if one gives 
it some thought.

Paul


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE: FW: School District Reorganization Bill-- LD 385
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:58:14 -0400
From: ricchard gould <perf3170rag at myfairpoint.net>

 From my understanding of the comments yesterday, they will not take it 
off GPA.  Vickie Wallack from MSMA spoke against that avenue and I 
believe it will not happen.  What the Commissioner talked about was to 
use some of the penalty money.

Any other questions, let me know.

Dick

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: FW: School District Reorganization Bill-- LD 385
Date: Sun, 1 May 2011 10:18:07 -0400
From: Gordon Donaldson <Gordon_Donaldson at umit.maine.edu>
[in response to Paul -- he may not have yet seen Dick's response]

I agree with Paul; funds of this type are not usually allocated with any 
attention to equity...as, at least in a minimal way, GPA is.  Those with 
grant-writers (ie. "excess administrative support") are usually the 
districts that get funds like these....

While I have your attention, I want to urge you to support LD 1488 An 
Amendment to the Innovative Schools Law (passed last year).  This bill 
provides some criteria for judging what's innovative, offers 
opportunities both to schools and to districts
to truly innovate and, in the process, suspend some of the legal 
restrictions now encumbering schools (such as forced reorganization!). 
No money comes with it, but some freedoms do.  And these can be freedoms 
to conduct educational practices the way they should be conducted!!

The bill will be heard by the Ed Committee Friday the 6th at 9 a.m., I 
believe.  I'll write with more details.
Gordon

Gordon A. Donaldson, Jr. Ed.D.
Professor of Education Emeritus
University of Maine