LIVERMORE FALLS – Gov. John Baldacci’s original school consolidation proposal was to trim the 199 existing districts to 26, but that figure is now 80-something. It is not clear which consolidation plans will ultimately receive legislative approval.

It appears there will be no local votes to create a new consolidated school district because the Legislature has reserved that right for itself.

The SAD 36 board has tentatively scheduled a meeting for 6 p.m. Thursday, April 5, at Livermore Falls High School for school committees and area boards of selectmen, followed by a 7 p.m. public information session to share the tight schedule the Legislature is telling communities they will have to follow.

School officials and residents from Jay, Livermore Falls and Winthrop met Wednesday and Thursday to discuss possible consolidation plans.

The plan requires the new “super districts” to include at least 2,500 students, beginning July 1, 2008.

“In 14 months, we will have two jobs,” SAD 36 Chairman Ashley O’Brien told those gathered Thursday night in Livermore Falls. “For 12 months, we will be turning out the lights, and our hearts aren’t going to be in it. For two months, we will have the biggest job we’ve ever had: to do what is right for the kids.”

Fred Nadeau, SAD 36 board vice chairman, described the local dilemma in another way. “I feel like the state has waved a club at our heads, and am I going to put my arms up or not? The results are unknown.”

Locally, the potential partnerships are far from clear, with school superintendents and officials from Jay, Livermore Falls (SAD 36), Winthrop, Farmington (SAD 9), Kingfield (SAD 58), Turner (SAD 52), Maranacook-Readfield (CSD 10) and even SAD 21 (Dixfield) all talking together.

The state Department of Education is requiring plans to be rapidly submitted, and SAD 36 Superintendent Terry Despres noted April 23 is the target date “to make a local decision or risk the DOE being our voice.”

Jay Superintendent Joe Moore and Winthrop Superintendent Mark LaRoche, both in attendance Thursday, agreed.

Despres said, “All of us support collaboration in Maine. We have issue with the lack of local consideration in making it happen.”

High-valuation communities like Jay are being put in a bind, Moore noted. It is not clear how Jay, now an independent school system, will fare in a consolidation.

It was suggested a “due diligence” list is important in discussing comparisons as officials work toward a consolidation plan and it should include school buildings, MEA scores, drop-out rates, percentage of students going on to college, debt service, student populations, town valuations, state funding, building use, overcrowded or underutilized facilities, funding formula impacts, vocational facilities, busing, central office operations and shared services.

However any of the communities and existing districts ultimately decide to collaborate, “everything will have to be put into a single courtship by the end of April. If there is no serious plan, the people in this room won’t be the players,” Despres told the people gathered Thursday night.

Under current directives, the Department of Education is expected to have approved any submitted plans by Nov. 15, with any revisions completed before the end of the year.

The state plans to certify new districts by Jan. 15, 2008, with the newly created districts expected to have determined their budgets, administrative personnel and other details by April 15, 2008.