Education Committee trending toward local control

The Maine Legislature's Education Committee this session appears to be a cautious bunch when it comes to discussing local control. As I've noted previously, Maine's experience with school district consolidation is affecting virtually all education policy discussions nowadays. Legislators are sensitive to those opinions that the state has removed a measure of districts' control over themselves by forcing consolidation.Today, as committee members discussed a measure that would have required that elementary schools schedule two recess periods daily, local control dominated the discussion. "We believe such issues ... should be local decisions," Dick Durost of the Maine Principals' Association told legislators. Sandra MacArthur of the Maine School Management Association also urged the lawmakers to leave the decision to local officials. Both Republicans and Democrats said they agreed. "I do believe this is a decision that's best left at the local level," Rep. Peter Johnson, a Greenville Republican, said. "I really hate to legislate it," said Rep. Patricia Sutherland, a Chapman Democrat and House chairwoman of the committee. Rep. David Richardson, R-Carmel, concurred. David Stockford of the Department of Education said the state agency would be reluctant to endorse another mandate on school districts. The 12 Education Committee members at Thursday's hearing and work session included three co-sponsors -- all Democrats -- of Rep. Anne Haskell's bill: Sen. Justin Alfond, Rep. Stephen Lovejoy and Rep. Richard Wagner. But at voting time, the tally was unanimous. Legislators did not want to impose a mandate on local school districts. As the committee members prepare to address dozens of bills dealing with consolidation, today's vote could be telling of their approach.