JAY – Five of six Regional School Unit Advisory Task Force subcommittees – finance, curriculum, co-curricular, and transportation and building grounds – have chairpersons and are in the process of recruiting members.

Leadership of the remaining committee – governance – is being sorted out, school Superintendent Robert Wall said.

The Jay School Committee and SAD 36 directors voted separately in August to file letters of intent with the state to start collecting information for a school partnership with Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls. If voters in all three towns approve the partnership next year, it would become known as Regional School Unit 40, as directed by the Maine Department of Education.

Wall and SAD 36 Superintendent Terry Despres have been keeping school and municipal officials apprised of the consolidation efforts and continue to do so.

Bill Cumming has been chosen as the facilitator to work with leaders from both systems to help develop a plan for consolidation. That plan has to go to the state by Dec. 1.

Jay schools Business Manager Stacie Everett will chair the Finance Subcommittee.

Jay Curriculum/Information Technology Director Joe Moakley and SAD 36 Curriculum Coordinator/Instruction Design Director Darren Ackerman will co-chair the Curriculum Subcommittee.

Jay Transportation and Maintenance Director Sue Weston and SAD 36 Maintenance Director Ken Vining, who is also helping out with transportation in that district, will co-chair the Transportation and Building and Grounds Subcommittees.

SAD 36 Director Denise Rodzen will chair the Co-Curricular Subcommittee.

School leaders from both school systems, Despres said, are expected to have an initial meeting with Cumming Tuesday night.

Despres said he plans to give SAD 36 directors a major update on consolidation efforts during their 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, meeting at the Cedar Center Learning Center in Livermore Falls.

He visited Livermore Falls selectmen last week and had visited Livermore selectmen in August to update both municipal boards updates.

Despres told those boards that a Jay, Livermore, Livermore Falls consolidation, in his opinion, is long over due. Now it’s about making the process work for students and taxpayers.

He said if it is done right – without emotions involved – they would be able to give students a well-rounded education at a good price.

Both school systems searched out different potential partners to consolidate with but finances were not favorable.

A combination of Fayette, Jay, Livermore, Livermore Falls and Winthrop towns showed each town raising significantly more money for education than now. A partnership between Livermore Falls, Livermore, Jay and Fayette also shows school systems raising more, but Jay and Fayette would have to raise higher amounts.

The challenge ahead, Despres said, is creating a school system that is more efficient, yet offers more educational opportunities for students.

“I believe we could make a very efficient system and do more for our children,” Despres said.