FARMINGTON – SAD 9 directors unanimously approved Superintendent Michael Cormier’s request to send a proposed school consolidation plan to legal review, Chairman Ray Glass said Wednesday.

A regional planning committee made up of school board members, municipal representatives and members at large from SAD 9 and 58 towns and Highland and Coplin plantations have worked since September 2007 to develop a plan to reorganize as one regional school system.

The review is needed to protect the interest of SAD 9 towns, Glass said.

SAD 58 directors will consider a similar request for legal review to protect that district’s towns. The plantations are expected to do the same.

SAD 9 will use a separate law firm than SAD 58 to avoid any potential conflict of interest, Glass said.

“We are hoping the state picks up the cost (of legal review) as indicated in the beginning of the process,” he said.

Two scenarios could happen after review, it could come back clean and go to the respective school boards again to consider submitting the plan to the state, which is the likely scenario, Glass said.

Or it could come back with attorneys saying there are some problems and doesn’t protect the district’s town, he said.

If the latter happens, then the plan would go back to the regional planning committee to work out the issues, he said.

In another matter Tuesday night, directors held a surprise ceremony for Cormier with state Rep. Tom Saviello, U-Wilton, and Sen. Walter Gooley, R-Farmington, presenting the superintendent with a legislative sentiment in recognition of contribution to education. Cormier was named Maine’s Superintendent of the Year in 2007.

It just so happened, Glass said, that directors had just found out that Mt. Blue Middle

School Principal Gary Oswald was named Maine’s middle-level Principal of the Year by the Maine Principals’ Association.