DIXFIELD – Residents responsible for establishing a new school administrative system and other aspects of a consolidated district held their inaugural meeting Wednesday.

People representing the 11 towns that comprise SAD 43, SAD 21 and SAD 39 will work in the coming months to forge an educational partnership. The town of Hanover would also be included in the new district.

By the end of the meeting at Dirigo High School, the 26 representatives looked at the next few months in a positive light.

“This is so much more organized than the first meeting,” said Dixfield resident Eugene Skibitsky, referring to an attempt last month to get SAD 43, SAD 44, SAD 21 and Union 37 together.

Skibitsky and others agreed that the committee needs the input of school superintendents, and that breaking into subcommittees to work on the various aspects of a merger was not currently advantageous.

This attempt differs in many ways from the first time. Then, representatives broke into subcommittees and many didn’t know quite how to go about their tasks. This time, the initial meeting was led by SAD 21 Superintendent Tom Ward, SAD 43 Superintendent Jim Hodgkin and SAD 39 Superintendent Rick Colpitts, who had outlined the specific tasks that lie ahead and a clear timeline, as well as several possible models for completing tasks.

The group decided to designate two people from each school administrative district to work with the three superintendents on each component of the plan. A proposal would then come back to the entire committee for discussion and action.

“I advocate working as a whole to gain trust in each other,” said Ben McCollister, chairman of the SAD 21 school board.

During the course of the next few months, the superintendents and committee members will work out plans for such things as administrative and central office reorganization, transportation, special education, governance of a new super board, and whether each SAD will also have its own board, and myriad other topics.

This was the first time that SAD 39 has had a chance to sit down with potential partners since the state law was passed that mandated nearly all districts in Maine consolidate with others.

A major stumbling block for both SAD 39 and SAD 21 is the effect low property values would have on another district.

SAD 43 would get hit hard by higher school taxes if the funding formula is not amended by the Legislature, Hodgkin said.

State Sen. Bruce Bryant said a draft of proposed legislation that would address that issue is expected to be ready for action once the Legislature begins its session next month.

A petition drive currently under way statewide to repeal the entire school consolidation law is gaining strength, Ward said. But even if the law is repealed, he said the work to be done by the committee could help the districts save money by collaborating on some services.

The next meeting was scheduled for Jan. 8, and tentatively planned at Buckfield High School. At that time, specific topics for work may be identified, and a chairman elected.