MEXICO - Distrust, apprehension and confusion quickly became apparent Thursday night when several of the more than 100 people from SADs 21, 43 and 44 began grilling the state education commissioner about the governor's plan to reduce the number of school districts.

Arriving 15 minutes late because she said she couldn't find SAD 43's Mountain Valley Middle School, Commissioner Susan Gendron tried to explain the reasons why Gov. John Baldacci is pushing to consolidate 152 districts into 26 statewide at a forum arranged by state Rep. Randy Hotham, R-Dixfield.

Many people were upset with the timeline, which would start implementation within eight months if the proposal is approved by the Legislature.

"How can you expect us to regionalize in eight months, which is impossible?" SAD 43 Director Randy Canwell of Mexico asked. He also objected to crunching districts into 26, which he called unrealistic, and said 10,000 students per district is unreasonable.

"Yes, we need to do this, but I don't think the governor should be cramming this down our throats, and you're no help at all," he added.

SAD 44 director Marcel Polak of Woodstock objected to the lack of collaboration between the governor and school boards on the consolidation.

"This is not a collaboration. It's really a shotgun wedding without a courtship," he said. "What I see here is a massive experiment where I'm not really involved in the design. I'm also displeased with the loss of local governance."

Polak surmised that the first test of the proposal would come when towns voted on a new school district's budget.

"What happens when we vote and it gets turned down? Right now, when we vote, and it gets turned down, we go back to the previous budget. What happens when the new community decides not to OK the budget?" he asked.

Gendron said the new proposed budget, not the one districts are using during the transition, becomes the baseline budget on which to fall back on.

That confused Polak, who fired back that it didn't appear that voters' decisions would be respected.

Gendron then clarified, saying if voters don't OK the budget, the regional board would rework it and try again.

"Everyone wants to see efficiencies, but this is too radical. It's one size fits all, and it's a heavy hand from Augusta, and a heavy hand doesn't work very well," he said.

Gendron said the Baldacci administration is responding to the wishes of taxpayers, and that ultimately the solution will build on conversations around the state.

Testimony on the proposal and six others from various entities will be heard during a public hearing from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday in the North Wing (Capital Pine Tree Room) at the Augusta Civic Center, Gendron said. Testimony from the public will be taken starting at 10:30 a.m. after committees hearing the bills divide into different locations. For more information, visit http://janus.state.me.us/legis/schreg_feb05/homepage.htm.