There's a new school consolidation plan on the table that still shoots for creating no more than 80 districts statewide, but allows flexibility in the size - calling for districts of 1,200 students in less populated counties and 2,500 in York, Cumberland, Androscoggin, Kennebec, Sagadahoc and Knox.

The plan calls for all school districts under that size to hold a citizens vote on consolidation partners in January of 2008. Those that approve new districts would merge by July of 2008. Those that don't would be required to go back to the drawing board and consolidate by July of 2009, or face financial penalties.

"The discussion is a local one," said Sen. Libby Mitchell, the majority leader, who presented the alternative on behalf of a bipartisan group that's been meeting with leadership for the last two weeks to come up with a plan that could pass the Legislature.

A local vote was an essential component for critics of the last plan floated by a subgroup of the Appropriations Committee. It called for no more than 80 districts of 2,500 students each, where geographically possible, created by July of 2008. Those districts would have been proposed by the Department of Education, in cooperation with local planning committees, and there was no chance for voters locally to accept or reject the plan.

Critics are still not completely happy with the latest proposal, but admit it's getting closer.

"We don't agree with the (80) number," said Rep. Tom Saviello, a co-chairman of the so-called rural caucus representing the more sparsely populated areas of Maine. Instead, school districts should be created that achieve administrative savings. "These are things you don't need to hang out a number on."

Saviello said his group also is against having all school districts vote in January of 2008, saying those that are ready to consolidate should vote then, but others should be allowed to wait until June of 2008. All new school units would be operational by July of 2009 under the rural proposal.

All agreed that whatever plan is adopted, the state will be cutting $36 million out of state aid for education in the second year of the two-year state budget. That number was included in Gov. John Baldacci's budget proposal based on his much more drastic plan to cut the existing 290 districts in the state down to 26.

"The bewitching hour is coming," Mitchell said of the need to decide on a plan to include in the state budget. "By the end of this weekend, this is going to be in a budget."

Education Commissioner Susan Gendron said based on her department's calculations, there would be just about 80 districts in the state if those in the less populated areas were required to have districts no smaller than 1,200, and more densely settled areas were at 2,500 students.

The proposal outlined Monday defines less populated counties as those with fewer than 100 people per square mile. Those counties with greater than 100 people per square mile are in central and southern Maine.

Gendron already had done work around the Appropriations subcommittee plan, creating districts of 2,500 where possible, and smaller districts when geography, including distances between communities, made larger units impractical. In Washington County, for example, Gendron proposed two districts of between 1,800 and 2,200 each. Under the new model that county could be broken down into at least three districts.

Maps of those originally proposed districts were handed out on Monday and also put up on the Department of Education website, www.maine.gov/education/supportingschools.

Gendron stressed the districts she was showing were designed to help with the discussion, not dictate the future.

"It's merely a jumping-off point for some conversations," Gendron said. "I don't want folks to misinterpret the work of the department."

Dale Douglass, head of the Maine School Management Association, which represents superintendents and school boards, said he was happy the department finally showed its plans.

"I'm glad they finally released the maps and lists. Let the information get out in the field," and see how people react, he said.

When asked why she released maps based on a plan that has now been replaced by something less dramatic, Gendron said leadership had requested her to do it to create some "comfort" around the process, and show that not all districts were being treated the same.