Does repeal cost too much?

We haven't heard much in the past few weeks on the school district consolidation repeal campaign front -- until now.

The political action committee that's formed to combat repeal efforts has formed a steering committee and launched a Web site. Coststoomuch.com lays out the rationale for keeping the consolidation mandate on the books. The committee's name is Maine People for Improved School Education.

The Web site points to a preliminary fiscal impact statement from the Legislature's Office of Fiscal and Program Review showing state education costs would rise $37 million if Maine voters approved a repeal of the consolidation law.

Maine can't afford to roll back the law, the Web site says. "School district consolidation can save taxpayers $36 million every year and hundreds of millions of dollars in the future. Repealing the measure will wipe out those savings and will make local property taxes will (sic) go up much, much faster."

It'll be tough to convince voters in towns like Monmouth and Pownal that repealing consolidation will have an adverse effect on their property tax bills. Those two towns experienced significant property tax swings while budgeting for this school year, the first one they were members of consolidated school districts. Voters in both towns have said they want out of their consolidated districts. Problem is, there's no provision in the consolidation law that would allow them to withdraw.

The "Vote NO on 3" Web site implores voters to keep the consolidation law, telling them that a greater percentage of education costs will be spent on "unnecessary administrative expense" if the law is overturned.

There's no talk, however, about what happens after November, if voters decide against doing away with the consolidation mandate. Is the law actually working well everywhere? Should lawmakers change the law if it remains?

An active campaign from both sides could help along that discussion.