JAY — If Jay joined with another school system, it would be neighboring Livermore Falls and Livermore, according to a community survey discussed at Thursday night’s School Committee meeting.

Superintendent Robert Wall reviewed the results with committee members. An ad-hoc committee from Jay and Regional School Unit 36 in Livermore and Livermore Falls has been working to find ways the two systems can work together. Those discussions have included combining the middle schools, Wall said.

“I think the important thing is the Jay community as a group supports us working toward collaboration and consolidation,” Wall said of the results.

The most concerns raised by respondents about consolidation included
student/teacher ratio, bus travel time, money and loss of local
community.

The 2,140 community surveys were mailed in September and 571 were returned, he said.

Kathy Murray, an administrative assistant in the Central Office, compiled the data. The combined results showed that 88 percent of those responding would recommend putting together a new plan that would lead to a revote on school consolidation with one or more school systems.

Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls voters rejected consolidating in January. However, the residents in all three towns were split nearly 50-50 Tuesday in their votes cast on a statewide referendum question to repeal the state school reorganization law. Both Jay and Livermore Falls residents narrowly rejected repealing the law while Livermore voters tied on the issue.

Jay’s survey also shows that 53.8 percent of the responders favored consolidating with RSU 36, 29.2 percent would like to consolidate with Mt. Blue Regional School District in Farmington, and 14.3 percent supported consolidation with Fayette.

Seventy-three percent supported sending Jay High School juniors and seniors to the new Mt. Blue/Foster Applied Regional Technology Center when it is built. Eighty-seven percent supported combining the high school with another high school, with 56.4 percent favoring Livermore Falls High School and 28 percent Mt. Blue High School in Farmington.

Sixty-eight percent favored combining the middle school with another middle school, with the top pick Livermore Falls followed by Mt. Blue.

The three most important aspects of a new consolidation plan were: 31.3 percent, cost sharing-operating costs/debt, 31.3 percent; student services/curriculum, 28.8 percent; and buildings, grounds and transportation, 16.2 percent. Close behind was governance-school committee/central office, 14.8 percent; and sports and activities, 9 percent.

Seventy-four people indicated they would serve on a study group, with 29.6 percent willing to serve on student services/curriculum, 19 percent on governance and leadership, 17.3 percent in financial areas and 14.8 percent each on buildings, grounds and transportation, and sports and activities.

Survey results will be put on Jay’s Web site www.jayschools.org.

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