JAY – The state’s education commissioner said the Jay School Department has to find a partner to form either a regional school unit or an alternative administrative structure with a minimum enrollment of at least 1,200 students, or pay a penalty of $215,199.

Jay currently has 764 students.

Commissioner Susan Gendron said in a letter that she appreciated the efforts that had been made and were ongoing to save money. But the School Department will be subject to penalty if it doesn’t comply with the law. She urged them to do so.

Jay Superintendent Robert Wall wrote to Gendron in early February seeking guidance on possible steps to stay in compliance with the state reorganization law. The need arose in January after voters in Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls voted, separately and collectively, to reject a plan to consolidate Jay and SAD 36.

Wall read Gendron’s reply during Thursday’s School Committee meeting.

Jay, SAD 36 and SAD 9 in the Farmington area, where voters also rejected a plan to consolidate with SAD 58 in the Kingfield area, have formed a task force to explore more ways to save money. SAD 9 has been granted an exemption from reorganization and is able to stand alone with more than 2,300 students in the district.

Wall said the first meeting of the task force is March 13 but the penalty is still out there. He said he and others are making a concerted effort to work with legislators to either get the penalty postponed or removed.

There is also a citizens-initiative referendum that will go before voters this year to repeal the school reorganization law.

It is a matter that is facing more than Jay, he said. He urged people to contact their legislators to tell them the penalty is unfair.

People have gone through the process to vote as outlined in the law and they voted no, Wall said.

About 37,000 Maine students are affected by these penalties, he said.

Even if voters voted yes on consolidation measures, while others in the group didn’t, they still will be penalized, he said. The penalty will be deducted from state subsidies.

This year, Jay is facing a potential loss of nearly $1.2 million in revenue, including the penalty, Wall said.

School districts that had a large enough population didn’t have to fear a penalty or vote on consolidation, he said.

School Committee Chairwoman Mary Redmond-Luce said they are going to work together with the other school districts to find cost savings, but they are going to respect that the voters voted no.

Wall said he is looking at alternative funding to take care of the penalty.

Resident Michael Schaedler said he felt that the penalty should be paid for through all the town’s departments since the town as a whole voted no on consolidation.