LIVERMORE FALLS – Talks between SAD 36 and Jay are ongoing with the two school boards set to be proactive to do what’s best for the future of students’ education.

SAD 36 Chairman Ashley O’Brien said the boards met jointly in February with the idea that they would discuss where each system is and how the boards can cooperate.

He was pleasantly surprised, O’Brien said, that Jay members were ready to talk about getting the school systems together.

Members of the SAD 36 and Jay school boards and superintendents plan to meet again soon to continue discussions for greater collaboration and potential consolidation of the two school systems, Jay School Committee Chairman Clint Brooks said.

“There was a strong consensus among those in attendance that it was critical that we must begin to look closely at consolidation, so that it can happen on our terms rather than those which might be eventually dictated by Augusta,” Brooks said.

Both boards’ chairmen say they do not want interest to stagnate and want to aggressively keep discussions going.

Neither man knows if the school systems will consolidate with each other or with another system, but they want to be ready, especially with consolidation discussions being held on the state level.

One thing is for sure: They want their boards to shape the future for students rather than someone else doing it for them.

“I am committed to keeping SAD 36 on a proactive footing helping to shape its own destiny as much as possible in this environment,” O’Brien said. “While I certainly hope that our plans for the future include Jay, our future cannot be ensured, if we regard this as a leisurely exercise.”

O’Brien said he formed a new five-member committee of the SAD 36 board Thursday night and asked it to look at consolidation in general to find out what it means and what needs to be done to put them in the best position for their students, staff and communities.

“The more we understand the process ahead of time, the more likely we’ll be able to control it,” O’Brien said. “We want to be decision-makers; we don’t want to be decided on.”

During the first meeting of the boards, members agreed that a sequential three-step process is necessary to bring about consolidation most effectively, Brooks said.

Those steps are cooperation – the business side such as joint purchasing, which they are already doing; collaboration – cooperating schools sharing service agreements to more effectively deliver educational opportunities for all students; and consolidation, which would include combining school systems in some form, as well as administrative governance, Brooks said.

There are various types of consolidations to be studied that may be more beneficial to these school districts, he said.

A steering committee is being established, which will be composed of representatives from both boards, as well as the two superintendents. Their charge will be to prioritize the entire process and establish subcommittees to investigate challenges and opportunities and keep the project moving ahead, Brooks said.

Public participation from both districts will be needed in order to advance the idea and become an eventual reality for the students of Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls, Brooks said.