Eileen King, Superintendent of Schools for School Union 49, presented a status report on school consolidation plans for the Boothbay Region at last Thursday's (Nov. 29) meeting of the Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club.

The school consolidation plan passed by the legislature aims to reduce the number of school administration units in the state from 140 to 80. Since last May our local School Union 49, which includes Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Edgecomb and Southport, has been in talks with School Union 74 (Damariscotta, Newcastle, Bremen, Bristol, South Bristol and Nobleboro) and Jefferson to determine how a consolidation could be accomplished.

Eileen noted that ours is the only high school; the other towns have either K-6 or K-8 schools. Students then have the choice of attending either a private high school such as Lincoln Academy or a public high school, with their home district paying the tuition in either case. This choice of high school is very important for those towns in which it is available, she said.

Two important issues in connection with the consolidation plans are state aid for special education and the mandated minimum property tax rate of 2 mils for education. The state currently provides 84 percent of the special education costs for Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor or $800,000 per year, and 80 percent or $50,000 per year for Southport. The mil rate is a problem for Southport, where the school tax rate is currently only 0.91 mils. The combined effect of these changes would amount to approximately $1.2 million per year for the local district. These issues affect many districts besides ours and the legislature is slated to consider emergency legislation to remove the 2 mil minimum and to restore the special ed funds.

Under the consolidation plan all school property -- land, buildings, equipment, etc. - will go to the new district, which will be governed by a board whose membership will be weighted by student population. Smaller towns are of course fearful of losing influence over the education of their children.

With school facilities no longer under local control, they may not be as readily available for use by community groups as in the past. There is also a question as to how the $1.9 million debt the Boothbay Region incurred to upgrade local school facilities will be handled. It is possible that although the property would go to the new district the debt would remain with the towns.

There has been talk of setting up private schools to avoid having to consolidate, but there are so many prerequisites requiring approval at the state level that Eileen said this is not a realistic possibility.

The consolidation plans due on December 1 will be submitted as a "work in progress," said Eileen. Although the change was originally mandatory, it now requires a community vote, which will take place either in June or at the regular election in November. A marketing campaign is under way to defeat the consolidation plan. If that happens, the local schools would lose 50 percent of the special ed funds, i.e., $400,000 for Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor and $25,000 for Southport.

President Skip Kreahling opened the business meeting preceding the program by welcoming Jim Botti back after his leave of absence. Andy Hamblett reported that the fruit sale is expected to net about $1,500; there are still a few boxes left over so anyone who is interested should speak to Andy.

President Skip noted that the $100 million challenge grant to the Rotary Foundation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is not only a commitment to polio eradication but a testimony to the standing of Rotary among charitable organizations. The polio campaign has cost $5.2 billion so far and even after the Gates Foundation grant an estimated additional $400 million will be required.

Tammy Blackman reported that dictionaries were delivered on Monday to 66 local second graders - six in Southport, 48 in the Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor regional school, and 12 in Edgecomb. Assisting Tammy in the distribution were Liz and Dick Bridges, Steve Salorio, Skip Kreahling and Jason Lorrain. Adam Maguire read several letters of thanks from the Southport children.

Chip Griffin announced that the annual distribution of Christmas wreaths to Rotary widows will take place on Saturday, December 1, and plans were made by those wishing to participate.

The meeting on December 6 will be devoted to a club assembly and ever-popular classification talks. Weekly assignments will be posted by Andy Hamblett. Monthly house­keeping assignments in December are: Tammy Blackman, steward; Bob Pike, innkeeper; Bill Kautzmann, 50/50; and Adam Maguire, Sergeant at Arms.

On Thursday, December 13, Carolyn Johnson, a Rotarian from Yarmouth and frequent visitor to our Club, will update us on the Guatemala Literacy Project, which provides much-needed textbooks and pencils - as well as hope - to children attending school in Guatemala's rural areas. The following Tuesday morning, December 18, we will kick off holiday festivities by visiting the Damariscotta-Newcastle club for breakfast and a program featuring the Lincoln Academy Singers. That Thursday, December 20, we will have our own traditional Club carol sing for residents of St. Andrews and the Boothbay Green. Please note that carolers will meet at 4:30 that afternoon; non-singers who wish to join us for supper please come to the clubhouse at the usual time.

Want to learn more about Rotary or about our Club? Join us for our weekly meetings each Thursday at 29 Oak Street in downtown Boothbay Harbor at 6:30 p.m. Check us out on the Web: www.boothbayharborrotary.org.