NEW SHARON – Efforts by a group of Western Maine educators to save money by sharing services has resulted so far in savings of more than $400,000.

They’ve been working together for about 18 months with the ultimate goal of driving more money into the classrooms to improve student performance.

The Western Maine Educational Collaborative spans Androscoggin, Franklin, Kennebec and Oxford counties, and comprises 10 school systems from Rangeley to Turner to Bethel to Winthrop – with Executive Director Mona Baker keeping communication lines open and talks ongoing among district leaders.

They’ve collaborated on literacy initiatives, behavior programs, alternative education, shared tuition for course work at the University of Maine at Farmington, and purchasing.

Not all districts take part in everything offered; instead, they pick and choose to meet their needs.

“It’s about identifying a need to meet those resources collectively,” Baker said.

Initially, WMEC was located at SAD 36’s Cedar Street Learning Complex in Livermore Falls, but moved to SAD 9’s Central Office in New Sharon early this month.

SAD 9 Superintendent Michael Cormier serves as president of the educational collaborative and believes “tremendous things have happened” since the group’s initiation.

They’re able to get more resources into the classroom and do it more efficiently at less cost, he said.

“It’s the best of all ventures. It allows people to keep individual identities, but allows people to work together collaboratively under one umbrella organization in Maine,” Cormier said. “In my opinion, it’s been very successful.”

If there are any issues, they work together and tweak it to make it work, Cormier said.

“It would be significant to not acknowledge Terry Despres and his driving passion,” Cormier said of SAD 36’s superintendent who initiated the collaborative effort.

“He had the vision and he could articulate it and he kept working out the pieces,” Cormier said.

The organization will host a legislative breakfast on Tuesday, Jan. 29, at Ken’s Catering on Water Street in Augusta, to share what they’ve been doing with state leaders.

They’re at the point now, Baker said, that they can share what they offer with municipalities.

“This is the type of stuff we’re being asked to do by the state and legislators to find ways to be more efficient and generate savings that can be turned back into classroom opportunities,” Cormier said.

What the vision has been about is improved student performance, Baker said.

“It is very successful and it’s exciting to be part of of it,” Cormier said.

They’re still struggling to keep financing the venture, he said, but they’re looking into expanding partnerships with individuals, businesses and other entities to help keep the program going.

The annual budget is about $65,000 and some of that is covered by districts’ paying $3 per student to participate.

Last year, they received a grant from the Maine Department of Education, but that option is not available this year, Baker said.

Right now they need about $8,000 to $10,000 to bridge the budget gap, and superintendents are working on that, Cormier said.

“It is, I think, the direction of the future of Maine school systems with declining enrollments and resources to sustain and enhance education programs for students,” Cormier said. “We really want to focus on enhancing programs.”