School Consolidation Opponents Upset With Vote

(NEWS CENTER) -- The vote to repeal the school consolidation vote went down in defeat, 58 percent to 42 percent.

In Washington County, opponents of school consolidation are upset with the outcome of the vote.  They say the other side was simply able to out spend them and influence voters through ads, not facts.

"They could run commercials day after day, week after week, pounding away on this issue that it would cost $30 million annually if we were to repeal this law. That is absolutely false," said Scott Porter, superintendent of SAU 134/SAU 102/East Machias.  "I will continue to maintain that is false. That $30 million was taken away, it's not coming back. It was taken away whether you consolidated or not."

Porter also said it was discouraging to watch the votes come in from large cities such as Portland, Lewiston and Bangor.

"The higher population areas are making decisions for rural Maine," he said.

Porter is hoping that small districts that already share services will be able to get special legislation passed exempting them from penalities for not consolidating.