MECHANIC FALLS – School Union 29 Assistant Superintendent Marc Gendron advised School Committee members Tuesday night that polls show the state Taxpayer Bill of Rights proposal is favored by 60 percent of voters and warned of consequences should that figure hold up in November’s referendum.

“The effects that TABOR had on education in Colorado were dramatic. National ratings for Colorado schools dropped to 50th, dead last,” Gendron said. “That,” he said, “when, unlike Maine, Colorado didn’t have the requirement that says you need a two-thirds vote to override the limits of TABOR.”

Gendron noted that the actual language of the November ballot question makes no note of the two-thirds override requirement and simply states: “do you want…to require voter approval for all tax and fee increases?”

“It sounds innocuous but what the two-thirds override requirement amounts to is that every “no” vote counts as two votes and every “yes” vote counts as one,” Gendron said.

Gendron said TABOR would be particularly problematic for Mechanic Falls when a large graduating eighth grade class is replaced by a small kindergarten class or if there is a large increase in students needing special education services or if state subsidy drops significantly.

Noting that residents will turn to School Committee members for their thoughts on TABOR, Superintendent Nina Schlikin stressed that it was important for committee members to become well informed on both sides of the issue.

In her report, Principal Mary Martin told the committee that Maine Educational Assessment test results in reading, math and science for students in grades three through eight show students performing at or above state average except in science at grade four and math at grade six.

“Mechanic Falls did a wonderful job on the MEAs. The students really shined,” Schlikin said.

Martin also noted that enrollment at the Elm Street School stands at 326, down from 343 in the spring. She attributed the decrease to an eighth grade class of 54 being replaced by a kindergarten class of 36.

Martin also pointed out that other changes in the student population show that nine out of 23 newly enrolled students have special education plans while only one of 15 students who withdrew from the school had a special education plan.

In other business, the committee accepted the resignation of third grade teacher Sue Damm and approved hiring Carol Pollard as her replacement. The board thanked Damm for working with Pollard during the summer to ensure a smooth transition.