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Weighted vote by SAD 59 board refuses funding

By Erin Rhoda erhoda@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

MADISON -- Every person who addressed the school board Monday night spoke in favor of the district applying for federal funds to improve student achievement at the high school.

However, in a weighted vote of three to six, the School Administrative District 59 board decided not to apply for the funding. Three Madison board members opposed two from Athens, two from Starks, one from Madison and one from Brighton Plantation for a total vote of 2,286 to 2,263.

Madison Area Memorial High School's scores were among the lowest in the state for the past three years on the SAT mathematics and reading portions, according to the Maine Department of Education. That made the district eligible to apply each year, for three years, for between $50,000 and $2 million in federal school-improvement funds.

In order to accept the funding, the district would have needed to either replace the principal, dismiss the teachers and rehire no more than half of them; or replace the principal and take steps to change the way material is taught and increase the amount of time students spend in class.

So far, seven of the 10 Maine districts eligible for the funding have told the department they will apply for the funds, said David Connerty-Marin, a department spokesman.

Ellen Currie, of Madison, who was one of nearly 30 people at the meeting, said, "It was a matter of disbelief ... I just couldn't believe that we turned down this funding."

Sonja McSweeney, a board member from Athens, eventually voted in favor of the funding, but she said it might be "easy to do on paper but harder to do in reality."

Carol Coles, of Starks, responded, "A goal is a dream with a deadline." The district might not meet all academic criteria immediately, she said, but it should not shy away from what could bring "excellence in education."

Ernie Hilton, of Starks, agreed, saying, "The only discussion I've heard is that it's difficult. It seems to me that difficulty is not an argument against doing it if it creates good dividends."

School board chairman Troy Emery, of Madison, countered that the grant "doesn't fit us." While he agreed that "drastic" changes are needed districtwide to improve education, he said, "I think we can control our schools and should not let our government control us."

John Krasnavage, of Madison, asked what changes the district will implement. If the district can get money to help it accomplish its goals, "I don't know why you'd turn it down," he said.

Jennifer Zweig Hebert, a Starks board member, said the district likely will cut staff and programs to reduce next year's budget. "How do we then say we will make plans to make improvements without money?" she asked.

Emery said that, because the federal money would be for reforms at the high school, it would not go into the general budget. "We need to keep echoing that because it is not going to help us with our taxes," he said.

Bruce Thebarge, a Madison board member, said academics need to improve, but the district should take "a lot of little steps" instead of the drastic measures required by the grant.

Superintendent Lyford Beverage wrote to the board that the federal funding would necessitate the elimination of the high school principal. "I have reservations about finding a new principal who would be willing to take over a building with requirements for how she/he might have to administer," he wrote.

Colin Campbell, principal at the Madison high school, is retiring at the end of this school year.

Beverage wrote, "I remain convinced that issues and conditions contributing to these ... scores are systemic, socio-economic, and not alone high school issues. I feel the district is going to be much better served with a plan that serves all of the schools in the district."

Currie said the weighted vote system appears to allow a few school board members to overcome many. "I don't feel comfortable thinking that those few people are in charge," she said.

Maine law dictates that board members' votes be weighted based on the population they represent.

Thebarge, Emery and Stephanie LeBlanc of Madison voted not to apply for the funds.

Zweig Hebert, McSweeney, Diane Russo of Starks, Karen Corson of Athens, Cheryl Wilder of Madison and Scott Mungeon of Brighton Plantation voted to apply for the funds.

Erin Rhoda -- 474-9534

erhoda@centralmaine.com