The latest proposal to come out of the legislature's Appropriations Committee for school district consolidation has cause significant concern in the City of South Portland and Cape Elizabeth, which would be wedded by a single school board, superintendent and other shared resources.
    In Cape, the reaction to any proposal that threatens the town's efficient delivery of school services, high achievement and unique town/gown collaboration is fraught.
    In South Portland there is a sense of bewilderment as to why the city's school system needs to be consolidated at all, given the fact that, with 3,071 students, it is large enough to qualify as it’s own district and is larger than several other districts that will be left alone (Gorham 2,723 students and Westbrook with 2,250 students to name two).
    The answer may have to do with the proposal's escape clause, which would allow municipalities to opt out if they are willing to forgo a portion of their state aid (somewhere between some and all). For Cape that is roughly $2 million or 7 percent of the total budget.
    Cape Elizabeth, being too small to exist on its own under the plan and sharing borders with two communities that can, had to go with someone.
    Perhaps the committee members know that, given a choice and a tolerable financial hit, Cape Elizabeth will opt out and South Portland will then be able to exist as it does. Perhaps the committee also realized that by forcing Cape into such a box, it could save a bit of money.
    If the proposal has enough support among legislators, the question will become how much money?
    Hopefully, the legislators will realize they owe each young person in the state some support for education, even if they come from Cape Elizabeth.
                         –Ward Peck