Consolidation's best bet

Gov. John Baldacci has offered a one-year reprieve to the 117 Maine school districts that were facing penalties for their residents' votes against consolidation.

The penalty delay is one of three school consolidation-related measures that got by the governor this legislative session.

Another bill exempts Jackman-based School Administrative District 12, Greenville-based School Union 60 and Rangeley-based Union 37 from having to comply with Maine's consolidation mandate. Another measure -- slipped into the biennial budget -- exempts 15 districts from consolidation penalties. That's the group of districts that voted in favor of merger plans only to have their proposed partners thwart the mergers by voting them down.

Is Baldacci, whose administration has been marked by a few different consolidation efforts, softening his stance?

If you listen to his words, it doesn't seem like he is. The statements released by his office Friday characterized the approval of the penalty delay as a move to help along the consolidation process.

Baldacci would likely prefer to see 26 large, regional districts in Maine as he initially proposed in 2007. But the consolidation mandate has been watered down in successive legislative sessions, and not by his doing.

The law that passed in June 2007 had upped the 26-district goal to 80. The results of local planning and resistance have left Maine with 218 school systems. Efforts to further amend the mandate will come up in January, if the law survives a November repeal effort.

Faced with these circumstances, letting more than 100 districts off the penalty hook for one more year might actually have appeared to be the best option for advancing consolidation. Legislative debate on the measure and advocacy from the affected towns were marked by pledges to use the additional year to make consolidation work in areas where it hasn't yet.

Time will tell what happens. But at this point, consolidation's hope rests with those who have resisted it.