By Amanda Estes
Staff Writer
Faced with a lack of clear direction from state officials, the Cape Elizabeth School Board is cautious about including too much information in the district’s plan as an alternative to school consolidation, which must be submitted to Commissioner of Education Susan Gendron by Dec.1.
“We want to make sure we’re not sending the message because we looked at cuts, we’re willing to do cuts,” said School Board Chairman Katherine Ray during a Tuesday night workshop.
School Board Member Karen Burke recommended removing financial reports outlining teacher, ed techs and substitutes salaries and benefits from the report to keep the teachers off the “chopping block.”
The six board members opted to trim down Superintendent Alan Hawkins’ plan to just the facts, the most notable being Cape Elizabeth’s system administration costs for 2005-2006 were roughly 3.1 percent of total per-pupil expenditures. At 3.1 percent, the district already meets the reorganization law’s 4 percent per-pupil expenditure requirement for system administration.    
Gendron approved Cape Elizabeth’s notice of intent to remain an independent district in early October. As a district meeting the “efficient and higher performing” exemption to the consolidation mandate, Cape Elizabeth must submit an alternative plan outlining cost cutting measures. Gendron is expected to approve or return invalid plans by Dec. 15. Following Gendron’s approval, all districts, consolidated or not, will be required to hold a referendum on the plan.
According to Hawkins’ plan, in the next fiscal year, state funds for Essential Programs and Services (EPS) will be reduced by 50 percent for school administration. With three central office employees currently performing some municipal duties, Hawkins determined subtracting those municipal expenditures as well as a certification allowance for his administrative assistant would result in nearly a $130,000 reduction in the district’s budget, by fiscal year 2008 figures. Provided the state allocates $204 for per-pupil in subsidy in the 2009 for system administration, Cape Elizabeth would be nearly $85,000 above the EPS funding level. In 2006, the district’s expenditures were less than the EPS subsidy by $75,903.
With Hawkins’ scenario, school board member Rebecca Millett questioned whether the school would be expected to absorb municipal services in the future.  
 “It’s good to show that we’re making an effort to reduce our costs, but my concern is that we’re dismantling the one town concept,” Millett said.  
 According to the reorganization law, EPS allocations for special education and transportation will both be reduced by 5 percent. Hawkins’ report does not propose any cuts in the special education program due to a revamping of the program last year. The new Instructional Support Department, which follows an “all means for each student” approach, is 4 percent below the 15 percent EPS cut-off for Maintenance of Effort requirements for special education funding.
Hawkins said Cape Elizabeth’s transportation system, which is heavily integrated with community services, is more efficient than that of surrounding communities. In the report, however, he outlines possible solutions “that continue to be considered” by the board, including changing opening and closing hours at the high school in order to bus grades 5-12 at one time, curtailing bus transportation for grades 9-12, changing pick-up routes, increasing mileage charges of extracurricular trips, reviewing bus usage by community service programs and limiting school bus use to co-curricular programs.
By fiscal year 2008 figures, a 5 percent cut in EPS funds for transportation equals roughly $57,000.
 A 5 percent cut in EPS funds for facilities and maintenance, the fourth category, would translate to roughly $92,400.
“I would like to see how much it’s going to cost us if we do what the state wants us to do,” said Ray. “How much will it cost if we don’t do anything?”
The South Portland School Board, which has also received permission to stay independent, voted unanimously on Monday night to submit an alternative plan to Gendron by Dec. 1.
The board did not vote on components of the plan, as an alternative plan committee will determine those, said Superintendent Suzanne Godin.
The school board will review the plan in detail during a Dec. 10 workshop.