AUGUSTA – The school consolidation effort passed earlier this year is the target of dozens of bills from lawmakers seeking to alter it in the next session.

The biggest consolidation issue getting lawmakers’ attention is the school funding formula, which makes it impractical for some districts to merge because property taxes would increase for some in the new unit but not others.

According to the Office of Legislative Information, 13 legislators have submitted bills attempting to change the funding formula. Legislative leaders will consider today whether the bills – and about 600 others submitted by lawmakers on a variety of topics – will move forward.

David Connerty-Marin, communications director for the state’s education department, said Commissioner Susan Gendron has committed to proposing her own changes to the funding law, which will allow units to come up with their own cost-sharing agreements.

“Rather than setting something in the law, it allows flexibility at the local level because individual situations are unique,” Connerty-Marin said.

The Legislature will take up proposals that make today’s cut early next year.

Because school districts must submit a plan to merge by Dec. 1, they may make their plans contingent on a change in the law, Connerty-Marin said.

One example of the issue is the attempted merger of SAD 17, the Oxford Hills school district, and SAD 39, based in Buckfield. SAD 17 is large and efficient.

SAD 39 is small, poor and inefficient, said state Rep. Terry Hayes, D-Buckfield, former chairwoman of SAD 39’s directors. If the two districts merged under current guidelines, SAD 17 taxpayers would end up paying more.

SAD 17 has ceased conversations with the neighboring district until the funding formula has been addressed, which Hayes hopes to do with a bill she submitted.

“SAD 39 cannot go at it alone any longer,” Hayes said. “They are not an example of a highly efficient school system. They will need to partner with someone.”

Of the nearly 600 bills submitted for the second session, about one-tenth – 67 – pertain to the consolidation law.

Some lawmakers would like to see the law repealed. Others, such as Rep. Richard Cebra, R-Naples, seek to extend the timeline and/or waive penalties for noncompliance.

The following are efforts by local lawmakers:

• Sen. David Hastings III, R-Fryeburg, wants to add a clause exempting districts with a population density of less than 100 per square mile from consolidating. He said he made this agreement with Gendron, but it never became part of the law.

• Rep. Thomas Saviello, an independent from Wilton, wants to decrease the budget for the Department of Education in a few years, once new regional school units have settled in. He said once there are fewer districts, it will mean less work for the department.

• Sen. Bruce Bryant, D-Dixfield, wants to add child development therapy services to the regional school units.

• Rep. Scott Lansley, R-Sabattus, wants to save the state money through centralizing contract negotiations.

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