FREEPORT – Directors of the new Durham-Pownal-Freeport school system faced nearly 100 residents – some of them angry – at Wednesday night’s meeting on the legal and financial ramifications of consolidation.

What concerns and angers them most, residents said, were the tax impact, the lack of any notable economic or educational benefits, the compressed timeline for getting the system up and running, and the absence of any assistance from the state, which ordered the move to provide better education for less money.

The law requiring the state’s 290 school systems to be realigned into 80 was passed in June 2007. The numbered Regional School Units – the local one is number 5 – must be operating by July 1. Those systems that have not consolidated or gotten a waiver from the state are subject to fines and other penalties.

On the financial side of the local consolidation, directors reworked the initial budget after Pownal residents complained. Their latest proposal is $24,089,329, which doesn’t include a proposed cut of $570,000.

Under the cost-sharing formula, Durham would pay 21.42 percent of the budget, Freeport 65.98 percent, and Pownal 12.6 percent.

Jim Rier, policy and finance specialist with the state Department of Education, told directors and residents Wednesday night that from the perspective of the department and the attorney general, residents have limited legal options when it comes to dissolving the new system, but they could consider reopening the cost-sharing formula.

State Reps. David Webster, D-Freeport, Susan Austin, R-Gray, and David Van Wie, D-New Gloucester, gave an update on the fines assessed to systems that have not partnered with others. Webster said that while the fines are being collected, the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee is still debating how to allocate that money. He indicated it may not be decided until November.

Webster, who is a member of the committee, said he is advocating that the money go to consolidated systems to help offset some costs of the change. If they need more money, residents would need to request help from the governor, the commissioner of education and legislative representatives, he said.

The board discussed requesting additional state financing, further investigation into the laptop and Twenty First Century Skills Initiative and further budget reductions.

It also voted to extend the budget calendar by one week. The schedule is:

May 13 – Deliberation on budget articles.

May 27 – Final board vote on the budget.

June 3 – Annual budget meeting with residents voting article by article.

June 9 – Budget validation referendum in each town.

The board has created a form to get feedback on the budget for residents before the May 27 board vote.

For more information, e-mail Superintendent Shannon Welsh at [email protected].

Staff Editor Mary Delamater contributed to this report.