JAY – The committee charged with developing a plan for a new school system for Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls met for the first time Wednesday, making some decisions and setting some guidelines.

Beforehand, panel members listened to facilitator Bill Cumming outline what the committee needs to do and when they need to have it done. Cumming, who said he didn’t work for the state other than receiving a stipend for facilitating regional planning committees, said lawmakers realize there is much work to be done to make the new reorganization law work.

A plan for a consolidated school system needs to be delivered to the state Department of Education by Dec. 1, but members have acknowledged that the full plan might not be completed because of the late start and they could submit what they have and continue working to complete it, Cumming said.

Realizing there are only five weeks before before Dec. 1, factoring in holidays, the committee chose to meet once a week.

They agreed to alternate between superintendent’s offices with the first meeting, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22, at SAD 36’s learning complex in Livermore Falls.

They will discuss governance at that time and try to decide what they would recommend as to membership on a new regional school board and how voting should be conducted, among other issues.

The panel also chose co-chairmen of the planning committee: Jay School Committee Chairwoman Mary Redmond-Luce and SAD 36 Chairman Ashley O’Brien.

The panel voted to have SAD 36 apply for the $2,500 the state is providing for each planning committee to do its work, but it will be up to the committee to decide how to spend it.

Each of the committee’s meetings are open to the public, but the panel voted to limit public participation, except by request of the committee, during those meetings so they could concentrate on work that needs to be done.

People could give their comments to any of the planning committee members and they would bring those thoughts to committee meetings.

There will be information meetings and hearings after the committee’s work is done when people can ask questions.