BDN Article on RSU Withdrawal Cites UMaine Study, Professor Emeritus

A University of Maine study on school district reorganization in Maine was cited in the Bangor Daily News article “Ellsworth, Hancock, Lamoine among communities to vote on withdrawal from regional school units.” The Maine Policy Review study by Janet Fairman and Christine Donis-Keller observed the consolidation process over the first two years in 15 regional school units across the state and found the overwhelming consensus was the forced approach for consolidation produced a negative reaction and led to efforts to repeal or revise the law. The article also quoted Gordon Donaldson, professor emeritus of education at UMaine, who said “the solution to poor achievement, particularly in poor neighborhoods, is to get parents involved” and that participation is taken away from neighborhoods when big districts are set up.