There’s little reason for towns as small as Monmouth and Sabattus to bear the time and expense of four separate school budget referendums. After three tries, it’s apparent the repeated votes have failed to produce consensus.

In fact, it appears the opposite has happened. With signs sprouting along the road in Sabattus, and the vocal frustrations of parents in Monmouth, the repeated votes in both communities are apparently cementing positions among townspeople, not broadening their horizons.

These referendums are the product of the state’s school district consolidation laws, which called for instituting mandatory budget referendums starting this year. Next year, the budgets voted upon will be those of the newly reorganized regional school units.

This year, though, only the budget validation process has changed. School districts cannot adopt a budget without approval from voters – regardless of the needed number of referenda it might take to receive it.

Stalemates in Sabattus and Monmouth detail the need for lawmakers to build a release valve into this budget system, if a budget simply cannot be agreed upon. A mechanism for mediation would rebuild relationships strained during these contentious negotiations.

The forces at work here are clear: There is a segment of the population in each town which believes school spending is excessive, and another that feels the spending is appropriate, or possibly acceptable, but still not enough.

The sentiments of each are manifested in two powerful entities: The local school board, which by its nature is compromised of educational advocates, and the voting booth, where those concerned about excessive school spending have earned sway, now six different times.

There isn’t much cross-pollination of these constituencies. At this point, it appears for any budget to be enacted, one side must capitulate. The outcomes from this scenario are likely hard feelings, and harder stances.

There’s no better reason, then, to require budget mediation, rather than continual confrontations. A statutory mechanism that prompts discussion of a mutually acceptable solution could, hopefully, salvage some neighbor-to-neighbor relationships.

It could also remove polarized communities from the brink of discord, and literally let cooler heads prevail.

Legislators should recognize this idea. In their realm, they call it a committee of conference, in which representatives on either side of a tricky piece of lawmaking come together to chart out the middle ground.

If a compromise is reached, both sides may walk away dissatisfied, but at least there would be consensus.

For school districts such as Monmouth and Sabattus, mired in budget impasses, this option would likely be preferable.