AUGUSTA – They’ve dubbed themselves the Boondocks Saints, a term coined by a newspaper editorial, and they’re fighting for the little schools.

A group of about 45 legislators make up the tri-partisan Rural Caucus, which has been an active voice in the Legislature’s discussion on school reform. The group formed 10 years ago to discuss issues affecting rural areas and is pushing for local control, keeping small schools open and more time to consolidate school districts to save administration costs.

Consolidation is being debated as part of the state budget process, and is in the hands of the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee members, who hope to have a version of the budget drafted by the end of the weekend.

On the floor, the budget must pass by a two-thirds vote. That’s 100 of the 151 members of the House and 23 members of the 35-member Senate. While the Rural Caucus does not discuss how members will vote, 45 unsatisfied legislators could throw a wrench into the budget process.

One of the voices in the forefront is caucus chairman Rep. Thomas Saviello of Wilton, who is not enrolled in any political party. The consolidation process is like a fast approaching train, Saviello said. It’s going to hit, so the caucus’ best strategy is to lay the tracks in the right place to avoid a derailment.

Many describe a similar vision of schools as the hub of activity for small towns: high school basketball games, boy scout meetings, community suppers.

Rep. Emily Cain, D-Orono, and chairwoman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, has become a staple in Rural Caucus meetings through the discussions. The biggest change to the plan, inspired by those meetings, was the local ratification, which requires a vote by every community before consolidation can take place, Cain said.

“I’ve learned a lot from attending the rural caucus,” Cain said. “I’m most impressed by their dedication, both by the legislators and community member, who travel long distances to attend the meetings.”

Early Tuesday morning, caucus members met to discuss the plans, and it was clear they all did not agree. Some said they knew property taxes had to be stabilized, and this may be the most viable option. Others, such as Rep. Henry Joy, R-Crystal, still oppose the entire concept.

“I haven’t heard anybody out there (constituents) who said it’s a good idea,” Joy said in the meeting. “Nobody knows what will happen to education. It’s a devastating path on a cliff and we’ll be unable to recover.”

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