POLAND – School Union 29 officials are preparing a case for creating a stand-alone district for Mechanic Falls, Minot and Poland students.

According to Superintendent Dennis Duquette, consolidation talks with SAD 15’s Gray-New Gloucester officials have come to a standstill.

“We just don’t see the cost benefit of joining together,” Duquette said.

Duquette pointed out that Union 29’s Dec. 1 preliminary reorganization plan to consolidate with SAD 15 cited nine potential barriers to complying with the consolidation law. Chief among them were a cost to Gray and New Gloucester of about $1.2 million per year due mainly to differences in property valuation and the combination of collective bargaining contracts that could raise costs for school personnel wages and benefits in all towns.

At that time, the Union 29 School Committee voted to send State Education Commissioner Susan Gendron a letter stating its preference for standing alone.

In mid-January, with no response to the alternative and with no apparent solutions to the barriers in evidence, Duquette said he contacted Department of Education officials again.

“They sent us a letter saying they were willing to review our documentation. We have to show how we are going to achieve the intent of the school consolidation law and why we should be exempted from certain of its provisions,” Duquette said.

Duquette said the three towns will have to prove that they can substantially reduce administration costs without hurting academic programs.

“We can do it. I am confident we can meet cost efficiencies. We are already doing more with less,” Duquette said.

In December, the union board approved a central office budget that is 6 percent lower than the current budget and, Duquette noted, while the three towns will remain together, it will be as a regional school unit, not as a union.

“And there is a difference. In a union, you don’t always share resources well. For example, it might be hard to justify a full-time music teacher for Minot’s 250 students but as part of a program shared with Mechanic Falls and Poland you are able to offer kids much more,” he said.

Duquette said that during the next few days he will review the stand-alone plan with members of the consolidation study committee and with School Committee members from the three towns.

On Friday, the plan will be submitted to Augusta.

“I’m confident we can make a good case. If the state turns it down so be it, we still have to find ways to cut costs, to be more efficient, and we’re doing that,” Duquette said.