FARMINGTON – The state says school districts must have consolidation plans submitted by December, and officials in the Farmington area are acting quickly to merge 16 communities into a single school system.

There is even a recommendation from a subcommittee on the size of the board and a weighted voting system. Initially, there were 49 members of the regional planning committee representing towns in SAD 9 and SAD 58 and Coplin and Highland plantations, but with some not able to make the Thursday meetings, there are now 45 members.

They have divided into subcommittees working on governance, finance, contracts, facilities and transportation, curriculum and co-curriculum. They recently added three more committees: adult education, special education and vocational education.

Members meet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. each Thursday at Strong Elementary School, a central geographical location, SAD 9 Superintendent Michael Cormier said.

SAD 9 Chairman Ray Glass of Farmington and Strong Selectman Rupert Pratt have been elected as co-chairmen of the planning committee. Bill Cumming, a consultant, is leading the meetings, as he is for the Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls Regional Planning Committee. Glass called the governance committee’s recommendation of a 25-member regional school unit board with weighted votes a “good solid proposal.”

According to minutes from the committee, it was a 7-1 vote for each of the communities to have one vote – except for Farmington, which would have seven, and Wilton, which would have four. The decision was based on population in each town and a one-person, one-vote concept.

That means that Phillips, Eustis, Avon, Kingfield, Strong, Chesterville, Industry, New Sharon, New Vineyard, Temple, Vienna, Weld, Coplin Plantation, and Highland Plantation each would have one vote.

It would take a 60 percent vote to pass a measure.

“It’s working remarkably well considering we have 45 people involved and we’re trying to pull two districts together,” Glass said of the planning meetings. “We’re making steady progress. I think there is a lot of good will among our people and we’re capitalizing on that and it allows us to move forward.”