AUGUSTA – When it comes to the fiscal year 2009 budget, the state must spend $36.5 million less on school district administration, state officials say.

To do that, Gov. John Baldacci has proposed consolidating the state’s 152 school administrative districts into far fewer.

On Monday, state Education Commissioner Susan Gendron presented maps of proposed consolidations to the Legislature’s Education Committee. The maps were based on a 2,500-student minimum district size proposed by the Appropriations Committee.

The consolidation plans, officials stressed, were merely suggestions. It will be up to district officials to decide who to consolidate with.

For rural areas, it could mean consolidating with neighboring districts to reach a minimum 1,200-student enrollment. For urban areas, the target minimum enrollment could be 2,500.

To reach that, Auburn’s School Department could be combined with Minot, Poland and Mechanic Falls, for example. In Oxford County, SAD 17 in Oxford could be combined with SAD 39 in Buckfield.

“SAD 17 is one of the larger districts, but right next door is SAD 39 (a smaller district),” said Susan Gendron, commissioner of the Department of Education. “We partnered them together. While SAD 17 could be left alone, you isolate a smaller community.”

Or that’s the latest plan, at least.

The full issue will be debated on the House and Senate floors as part of the 2009 state budget in the coming weeks, and floor amendments will likely be proposed. In the end, it must pass by a two-thirds vote.

A group working on a school consolidation plan is chaired by Senate Majority Leader Elizabeth Mitchell, D-Vassalboro, and comprised of members of the Legislature’s Education and Appropriations committees, leadership, rural caucus and other interested parties.

A competing plan by the rural caucus does not establish a maximum number of districts, or require all communities to vote at the beginning of next year.

Rep. Thomas Saviello, U-Wilton, is a co-chairman of the rural caucus and presented his views Monday.

“These schools (SADs 58 and 9) are essential to the rural community,” Saviello said. “We need to protect them.”

Saviello said he doesn’t want communities to have to rush into consolidation.

“Change is hard,” he said. “We have to give them (the districts) time to feel like they’ve participated.”

Rep. Elaine Makas, D-Lewiston, had a different concern. Lewiston won’t be required to consolidate, although talks are taking place with Auburn. However, the city could be required to cut costs.

Gendron said if districts that can prove they are running efficiently, they won’t lose funds.

“Some communities already perform at that target,” she said.

State-recommended consolidations:

Unit 34: Durham and Brunswick

Unit 36: Lisbon, Sabattus, Wales and Litchfield

Unit 37: Auburn, Minot, Mechanic Falls, Poland

Unit 38: Lewiston

Unit 39: Greene, Turner, Leeds

Unit 40: Livermore, Jay and Livermore Falls

Unit 41: All of Franklin County except Carthage and Jay

Unit 42: Combine SAD 21, SAD 43, SAD 44, Dixfield, Rumford, Bethel

Unit 43: Combine SAD 17 and SAD 39, Oxford Hills and Buckfield areas

Unit 44: Combine SAD 72, SAD 55 and SAD 61, Fryeburg, Hiram and Bridgton areas