JAY – The Jay School Committee and SAD 36 Board of Directors voted separately Thursday to submit a plan to consolidate their systems to the state Department of Education.

Both votes were unanimous. SAD 36 Chairman Ashley O’Brien and Director Rod Newman abstained from voting.

The regional planning committee has worked on the proposal since the fall of 2007. It voted to submit the plan Wednesday night.

Once state education Commissioner Susan Gendron approves the plan, both school boards will go to work developing information to educate residents of Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls on the plan before a Jan. 27, 2009, referendum in each town.

If the commissioner opts not to approve the plan, more work will be needed.

The plan was expected to be on its way to Augusta on Thursday, but Jay Superintendent Robert Wall said it took him all day just to put everything together. He will finalize the document and send it out Friday, he said.