JAY – Students in Annette Girardin’s high school algebra II classes prepared a school consolidation survey that was sent Friday. Surveys are due back Friday, May 18, so students can compile the information and study statistics before school ends.

There were 1,000 surveys sent to students, teachers and community members. The class needs 601 surveys returned to do an accurate survey, Girardin said. They may be left at the town office, schools or the superintendent’s office.

The first thing she had to do, Girardin said, was to teach her students how to write an unbiased survey.

Superintendent Robert Wall had given a presentation on the consolidation effort and Girardin sought information at the state level. Students prepared the survey and then it was reviewed by school officials to determine if the questions targeted all areas pertaining to consolidation.

Several other teachers and students also participated in parts of the project. Kristel Anuszewski’s drama classes developed a community announcement to be filmed and edited by students in Jamie Robinson’s desktop video class.

Sue Stevenson’s journalism class created letters of information for community members and a news release for local papers.

The purpose of the survey is to gather results from the community on school consolidation and present them to the School Committee, Stevenson’s students wrote in their letter.

The survey was prompted by a state proposal to consolidate Maine school systems from more than 200 to 80 school districts, with some exemptions. The proposal has still not been finalized.

The first question on the survey asks “Which schools do you think Jay should consider partnership with for education services?”

Jay has an enrollment of 837 students, and the survey lists other school districts and enrollment sizes:

• 1,032 students: SAD 36 serves Livermore and Livermore Falls.

• 2,667 students: SAD 9 serves nine towns in the Franklin County, including Wilton and Farmington.

• 992 students: SAD 58 serving five towns in northern Franklin County, including Kingfield and Phillips.

• 2,235 students: SAD 52 serving three towns, Leeds, Turner and Greene in Androscoggin County.

• 944 students: Winthrop School Department serving students in that area.

• 75 students: Fayette Central School, an elementary school, with the town paying tuition for 93 students for middle and high schools.

• 82 students: Carrabassett Valley pays tuition for its students to attend schools outside town.

The 18-question survey covers topics including should the new district school board have representation based on town property valuation, population, or a combination of town property valuation and population.

Other questions ask if people feel that the quality of education will improve after consolidation, whether Jay school buildings should close or be used in the consolidation, and whether people think regionalization will save taxpayers money.

The survey also covers transportation and what the average time of a bus ride should be for a student and if they favor interscholastic sports teams for the middle and high schools following consolidation.