Now: 152 school superintendents and 290 school districts: future, 26 superintendents and 26 districts. According to the plan: savings of $250 million from 2009 to 2011; more local input on school budgets and decisions; better educated students.

Jan. 16

Maine Education Commissioner Susan Gendron goes before the Legislature’s Education Committee to outline, explain and answer questions about the governor’s plan.

Competing consolidation plans by lawmakers and groups are in various stages of development. Several of the plans do not mandate consolidation, calling into question whether it would actually occur.

Feb. 5

Expect a large, daylong public hearing before the Education Committee at the Augusta Civic Center for the governor’s plan and what now appears to be seven other consolidation plans.

In the following weeks

The Education Committee will take all input and work over the various plans. It will likely pick one favorite and make amendments, or members could consolidate various proposals into one new piece of legislation.

Lobbying by interested parties will go on throughout this process.

Early March

The Education Committee is expected to report out its recommended legislation to the Appropriations Committee.

The weeks ahead

The Appropriations Committee will likely work the legislation into the governor’s bigger budget package and vote out a final bill. The House and then the Senate will deliberate on the legislation.

Either body could add its own amendments, but they could be restricted to just a yes or no vote.

More lobbying by interested parties will occur during this period. The House and Senate will each have at least two votes on the bill. The debating and voting could go on for days or weeks.

To the governor

If legislation is approved by both houses, it will go to the governor’s desk for his signature or veto.