Comparison of Proposals to Restructure Central Office Administration

Comparison of Proposals to Restructure Central Office Administration Owen Maurais Executive Director, PREP February 8, 2007

Brookings Institute Recommendations

“Charting Maine’s Future” Recommendations 1. Fully fund and enlarge the funding for the Efficient Delivery of Educational Services

“Charting Maine’s Future” Recommendations 2. Reduce Maine’s K-12 district level administrative spending to the national average

“Charting Maine’s Future” Recommendations 3. Begin the work of dramatically reducing the number of school administrative units (districts)

“Charting Maine’s Future” Recommendations 4. Appoint a high level educational reorganization commission to develop for an up-or-down vote in the legislature a specific, bold plan for greatly reducing the number of K -12 administrative units and their associated costs

7 Proposals Mandatory consolidation Various forms of collaboration & planning • Baldacci Proposal (LD 499 Part MM) • Maine Service Centers (LD 1386) • Turner Proposal (LD 370) • State Board of Education Proposal (LD 1619) • Maine Children’s Alliance (LD 464) • Silsby Proposal (LD 1148) • Mills Proposal (LD 1415)

Mandatory Consolidation Proposals Gov. Baldacci (LD 499 Part MM) Sen. Turner (LD 370) State Board of Education (LD 1619) Number of districts 26 75 65 Number of students 1, 800 – 20, 000 2, 200 3, 000 – 4, 000 Estimated savings $241 million over 3 years $25 million per year $82 million over 5 years Governance Regional school boards

Baldacci Proposal (LD 499, Part MM) Intent §Shift resources from administration to the classroom Structure §Consolidate Timeline §July/Aug Governance §Regional 296 districts into 26 § 1, 800 to 20, 000 students §Based on vocational technical schools 2007 – Regional learning communities formed §Oct 2007 – Regional school boards elected, superintendents hired §July 2008 – Full implementation school boards with representatives from member communities

Baldacci Proposal

Turner Proposal (LD 370) Intent §Consolidate the business services while leaving in place schools, teachers, and students Structure § 75 Timeline §Dec Governance §New school districts averaging 2, 200 students §Districts based on proximity, common attitudes toward education, and transportation needs §Boundaries drawn up by a committee of 11 members. 2007 – Plan must be submitted to legislature §July 2007 – June 2008 – Transition to full implementation §June 2008 – New school boards elected and expanded SAD’s shall have school boards up to 9 members

State Board of Education Proposal (LD 1619) Intent §Change needs to occur in educational governance and political organization which will free up dollars that can be used to enhance learning in other ways. Structure § 65 Timeline §A Governance §District-wide school districts of approximately 3, 000 – 4, 000 students §Existing districts with 3, 000+ students remain intact §Districts would be mandatory bi-partisan redistricting panel will redraw district lines §The plan submitted to the legislature will receive an up or down vote, but will not be subject to amendment school board

Collaboration and/or Planning Proposals Maine Service Centers (LD 1386) Maine Children’s Alliance (LD 484) Rep. Silsby (LD 1148) Rep. Mills (LD 1415) Number of districts 26 “alliances” 26 Determined by 22 “cooperatives” “regional “educational cooperative” cooperatives” Number of students 1, 800 – 20, 000 TBD 2, 800 minimum 1, 200 minimum Estimated savings $20 – 25 million per year TBD TBD Governance Existing school boards TBD Existing school boards

Maine Service Centers Proposal (LD 1386) Intent §Attempts to hold the legislature to a spending limit and sets long term goals for reducing the cost of governance by regionalizing school districts Structure §Creates Timeline §Alliances Governance §The 26 “planning alliances” based on the existing vocational school districts §Seeks savings and efficiencies between districts, such as combining financial management systems formed and baseline information identified §Each alliance will recommend a plan for the redesign of educational administrative services within the region §School boards and legislative bodies of every district within the alliance shall act on the recommendations plan does not change the governance structure of the existing 296 school districts

Maine Children’s Alliance Proposal (LD 464) Intent §Expand regional approaches to school organizations and facilitate voluntary cooperation in the delivery of educational programs and services Structure §Would Timeline §Regional Governance §Existing create 26 “school planning councils” which would share purchasing and administrative functions §Councils would have broad public participation and a limited lifespan §Planning would focus on meeting the requirements of the Learning Results and containing non-instruction costs in accordance with the EPS Funding Act planning councils established §Plan ratified by existing school agencies §Statewide coordination of school planning councils and preparation of a statewide educational plan school boards would remain in place

Silsby Proposal (LD 1148) Intent §Provides the opportunity for current school administrative units to form regional cooperatives serving at least 2, 800 students Structure §School Timeline §By Governance §Determined districts may enter into an agreement with another unit to form a regional cooperative §A statewide commission would support, and approve regional cooperatives and offer financial incentives. §Commission would implement reorganization and cost savings for units that do not participate in a cooperative June 2008 – School administrative units form regional cooperatives and apply to the commission §By June 2009 – Regional cooperatives implement plans, make adjustments, and report cost savings by Regional Cooperatives

Mills Proposal (LD 1415) Intent §School units shall join a state chartered Educational Service District (ESD) to contract for the regional delivery of administrative services Structure §Participation Timeline §ESD’s Governance §Each in an ESD will be required of all districts §The geographic bounds of the ESD’s will generally conform to the existing 26 vocational regions §Each ESD will be large enough to serve at least 3000 students may be created immediately by state law §Summer 2007 – Formation and planning of operations §July 2008 – Initial delivery of regional services EDS will be managed by existing public entities (the member districts)

Collaboration and/or Planning Proposals – Next Steps Maine Service Centers (LD 1386) n. If the goals in this plan have not been achieved by a region by February 2010, the Commissioner of Education shall present to the legislature a plan for reorganizing all school administrative units within the region Maine Children’s Alliance (LD 484) n. The Rep. Silsby (LD 1148) n. The Rep. Mills (LD 1415) n. The State Department of Education will coordinate the School Planning Councils and prepare a statewide educational plan based upon the results of the local plans commission would establish benchmarks for per pupil cost savings to be achieved by school administrative units for fiscal years 2008 - 2011. It would make recommendations for cost reductions each year until the rate reaches the benchmark set for fiscal year 2011. initial structure is ongoing

Collaboration and/or Planning Proposals – Next Steps Maine Service Centers (LD 1386) n. If the goals in this plan have not been achieved by a region by February 2010, the Commissioner of Education shall present to the legislature a plan for reorganizing all school administrative units within the region Maine Children’s Alliance (LD 484) n. The Rep. Silsby (LD 1148) n. The Rep. Mills (LD 1415) n. The State Department of Education will coordinate the School Planning Councils and prepare a statewide educational plan based upon the results of the local plans commission would establish benchmarks for per pupil cost savings to be achieved by school administrative units for fiscal years 2008 - 2011. It would make recommendations for cost reductions each year until the rate reaches the benchmark set for fiscal year 2011. initial structure is ongoing

Collaboration and/or Planning Proposals – Next Steps Maine Service Centers (LD 1386) n. If the goals in this plan have not been achieved by a region by February 2010, the Commissioner of Education shall present to the legislature a plan for reorganizing all school administrative units within the region Maine Children’s Alliance (LD 484) n. The Rep. Silsby (LD 1148) n. The Rep. Mills (LD 1415) n. The State Department of Education will coordinate the School Planning Councils and prepare a statewide educational plan based upon the results of the local plans commission would establish benchmarks for per pupil cost savings to be achieved by school administrative units for fiscal years 2008 - 2011. It would make recommendations for cost reductions each year until the rate reaches the benchmark set for fiscal year 2011. initial structure is ongoing

Collaboration and/or Planning Proposals – Next Steps Maine Service Centers (LD 1386) n. If the goals in this plan have not been achieved by a region by February 2010, the Commissioner of Education shall present to the legislature a plan for reorganizing all school administrative units within the region Maine Children’s Alliance (LD 484) n. The Rep. Silsby (LD 1148) n. The Rep. Mills (LD 1415) n. The State Department of Education will coordinate the School Planning Councils and prepare a statewide educational plan based upon the results of the local plans commission would establish benchmarks for per pupil cost savings to be achieved by school administrative units for fiscal years 2008 - 2011. It would make recommendations for cost reductions each year until the rate reaches the benchmark set for fiscal year 2011. initial structure is ongoing

Mandatory Consolidation Proposals Gov. Baldacci (LD 499 Part MM) Sen. Turner (LD 370) State Board of Education (LD 1619) Number of districts 26 75 65 Number of students 1, 800 – 20, 000 2, 200 3, 000 – 4, 000 Estimated savings $241 million over 3 years $25 million per year $82 million over 5 years Governance Regional school boards

Collaboration and/or Planning Proposals Maine Service Centers (LD 1386) Maine Children’s Alliance (LD 484) Rep. Silsby (LD 1148) Rep. Mills (LD 1415) Number of districts 26 “alliances” 26 Determined by 22 “cooperatives” “regional “educational cooperative” cooperatives” Number of students 1, 800 – 20, 000 TBD 2, 800 minimum 1, 200 minimum Estimated savings $20 – 25 million per year TBD TBD Governance Existing school boards TBD Existing school boards

Comparison of Proposals to Restructure Central Office Administration Owen Maurais Executive Director, PREP February 8, 2007