JAY – Regional school planning committee – members from Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls – voted 8-2 Tuesday to continue moving forward on a consolidated school system plan.

SAD 36 Chairman Ashley O’Brien and Vice Chairman Fred Nadeau opposed the motion citing frustration with the process and collaboration effort so far.

The committee has planned a workshop from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, at the Jay High School to try and finalize a plan to go to state education commissioner by Sept. 23 to be ready for a Jan. 30 referendum vote in all three towns.

They also have a meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2, at the SAD 36 Cedar Street Learning Complex to discuss cost sharing options and buildings with experts in the fields.

The committee charged with developing a framework to reorganize students in SAD 36 and Jay School Department into one school system also agreed by consensus to continue on with a regional school unit plan rather than an alternate organizational structure put in place over three years. The majority sided with the regional school option because a letter of intent had already been submitted for that and the other option left more chance for contention to continue to build among the systems.

Facilitator Bill Cumming also stated the state education department stated a new school could not be part of the plan because the state could not make a commitment to fund it at this time.

The vote to continue going forward came after each committee member had voiced their thoughts on what they believed should happen.

Planning committee Co-chairman Ashley O’Brien read his own opinion, saying he had worked for the “marriage” of SAD 36 and Jay school district because he believed that if well executed it would enable both districts to offer students a more varied and richer program than either could offer on it’s own, and it would result in considerable savings to the taxpayers of both districts.

He cited a number of opportunities that have not been acted upon including sharing a currciulum coordinator, a substitute finder program and Jay pulling out of adult education a couple of years ago.

O’Brien also stated most recently that there have been additional items that have come to light which indicate a lack of mutual respect.

SAD 36 has not taken Jay up on two offers, he said, including sending Livermore Falls Middle School students to Jay Middle School and closing that school because, under the circumstances it was not in the best interest of the students and staff.

O’Brien said that he planned to suggest fellow SAD 36 directors abandon talks with Jay until there is some indication of a willingness to work toward common goals and that “we actively investigate opportunities with others, especially those with whom we have been able to work in the past.”

Co-chairman of the planning committee Mary Luce of Jay, also chairwoman of the Jay School Committee, clarified what happened with some of SAD 36’s offers. She said it was the voters who decided to pull out of adult education program.

She also admitted she sought information about SAD 36’s renovation loan funds and school construction funding to learn more about it.

It was not an effort to block funding for SAD 36, she said.

Jay Selectman Warren Bryant said that if they put the members at-large from each community in charge of planning to consolidate, they would quickly come up with a solution to merge the systems. The other members of the committee, he said, have constituents.

Several committee members said they’ve always thought the two school systems should be one since they are so close together.

Jay Superintendent Robert Wall said after the meeting that some of SAD 36’s offers were not cost savings for Jay.