RUMFORD – Officials from SAD 43 towns got a preview of information on a proposed merger of three school districts from the SAD 43 board Monday night.

Selectman Rob Cameron of Rumford said the decision that will be made by voters on Nov. 4 could be a major change in the community.

“My concern is that public hearings aren’t well attended. Many people don’t know enough about the plan and uninformed decisions may be made,” he said.

Some suggested that the proposed merger of SADs 43, 39 and 21 is similar to that of SAD 43 and the Rumford School Department nearly 20 years ago.

Cameron suggested that at least one of the three public hearings scheduled this week be broadcast on the local access television channel.

SAD 43 Superintendent Jim Hodgkin, who led Monday’s presentation with the assistance of SAD 21 Superintendent Tom Ward, said he will try to get either Wednesday’s SAD 21 public hearing or Thursday’s SAD 43 public hearing taped by access channel volunteers.

The three districts, along with the town of Hanover, have been working for more than a year toward joining forces through sharing a superintendent, central office, curriculum coordinator and other administrative staff.

SAD 43 board member Chris Brennick said he expects the method of delivering education to change drastically in the next five years with increasing technological advances.

“Regionalizing instruction should be our main focus,” he said.

Ward, who announced at Monday’s meeting that he will apply for the position of superintendent of the new Western Foothills School District if voters approve the administrative merger on Nov. 4, said the state law that has mandated school districts to consolidate couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time. He said state funds for education will be flat for at least the next two years.

“The only way to find savings is to go from three to one central office,” he said.

Once that is done, he, Hodgkin and others believe one superintendent, one curriculum coordinator, one special education director, one food service director, and other positions that each district now has, will lead to finding ways to cut costs while still offering sound educational programs.

“This is a chance to find some savings,” Ward said.

Rumford Selectman Arthur Boivin voiced concern about the possible closure of one or more schools in the three-district region during the next 10 years.

Hodgkin said that was not the intent of the proposed merger. But nothing is guaranteed, particularly with the poor state of the national and state economies. Such decisions would be made by the new regional school district board and would also depend upon student enrollment.

Public hearings are as follows:

• SAD 39, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Buckfield Junior-Senior High School, Buckfield;

• SAD 21, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dirigo High School, Dixfield; and

• SAD 43, 6 p.m. Thursday, Mountain Valley High School, Rumford.