LD 467 was cosponsored by Rep. Jarrod Crockett, R-Bethel, enacted as emergency legislation and signed by Gov. John Baldacci. It grants exemption to school consolidation for School Union 37 (Rangeley), SAD 12 (Jackman), and School Union 60 (Greenville). Those school systems are considered geographically isolated and impractical to consolidate.

According to Rep. Crockett, it is a great development and there will be no penalties or other legal complications for those communities.

SAD 44 has tried twice to consolidate; the first time with School Union 37, SAD 43, SAD 39 and SAD 21. SAD 44 and School Union 37 were asked to leave that process.
The second time, the communities of SAD 44 voted to consolidate with School Union 37, while the Rangeley school communities rejected consolidation.

There are no school districts around SAD 44 with which it hasn’t tried to consolidate, thus making SAD 44 geographically isolated and impractical for consolidation.
One has to wonder why Rep. Crockett didn’t include SAD 44 in LD 467. SAD 44 still has the legal requirement of trying to form a regional school unit.

Rep. Crockett stated, “I was glad to be part of the process to remove Rangeley from the consolidation requirements.” The question is why Rep. Crockett left his home town of Bethel and other towns SAD 44 towns out of the legislation?

The citizens of SAD 44 need to ask Rep. Crockett why he failed to include, consult or brief them about the legislation.

Sidney J. Pew, East Andover