The group collecting petition signatures to overturn the school consolidation law officially missed the deadline Monday to get repeal on the November ballot, but vowed they will keep up the effort.
Skip Greenlaw of the Maine Coalition to Save Schools held a press conference Tuesday in Augusta to say his group had gathered 38,565 of the 55,087 signatures needed and the goal now is to get the rest by sometime in March. That would put the repeal question on the November 2009 ballot unless the Legislature acts sooner.
“At some point the Legislature must come to terms with the reality that this law lacks any substantial public support,” said Greenlaw, who lives in Stonington.
Greenlaw said his group, which started using paid signature gatherers in December, has had the most success so far in Aroostook, Washington and Hancock counties. He said there was virtually no support in Androscoggin and Sagadahoc counties.
Legislators who have signed onto the repeal drive said they are in the awkward position of trying to amend the law through the legislative process and, at the same time, get it overturned completely.
“It’s a schizophrenic life that we live,” said Rep. James Schatz, D-Blue Hill, who voted against the law and the state budget it was in last year because of his opposition to consolidation.
The law, as written, requires the state to have no more than 80 school districts of 2,500 students, where possible, but no less than 1,200.
An amendment to that law that is expected to be introduced in early February would allow for some exceptions to the size rule and give local school committees greater control. The amendment also addresses financial problems districts are having coming together, including the existing cost-sharing formula that shifts costs onto property-rich towns.
Judy Sproule, who is on the Trenton School Committee and a member of the Maine Coalition to Save Schools, said what’s really needed is a moratorium, not an amendment.
“If the Legislature lacks the courage to admit a mistake and repeal the law on its own, it owes it to the public to put it on hold until all its flaws can be identified, evaluated, and the people can have input,” she said.
Sen. Kevin Raye, R-Washington, who helped circulate the repeal petition, said he plans to introduce an amendment to the law that would allow towns to vote now to opt out of consolidation rather than continuing with the regional school unit planning process.
“Like Rep. Schatz, I find myself taking a two-pronged approach,” Raye said.
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