Windham parents who attended Tuesday’s consolidation forum meeting at the high school to learn were happy to learn that educators’ jobs are not on the chopping block.

“I’m glad to hear they’re not going to be closing schools or getting rid of any teachers, ” said Susan Laliberty, the mother of two Windham Middle School students. She was one of about 20 parents who attended the meeting.

Windham Superintendent Sandy Prince cautioned that in a decade or so a regional school unit could decide to close a school that it finds unnecessary.

During his presentation about the complex and confusing consolidation law, Prince assured parents that consolidation is about cutting administration and service personnel, such as special education coordinators, facilities managers and superintendents.

The law states that schools need to cut their administration budget by 50 perfect, and there will be a 5 percent decrease for the special education, transportation, facilities management and business departments.

Parents were also informed that although Windham, Westbrook and Raymond representatives have been discussing merging into a single regional school unit, and have filed with the Maine Department of Education an intention to consolidate, the three towns could still choose not to consolidate.

Also discussed was the issue of school choice. Currently high school age students from Raymond can choose to attend the Windham or Westbrook high school, and if those three towns consolidate the students who live in Raymond would retain that choice. Students who live in Windham or Westbrook would not get to choose what high school they attended.

Windham School Committee member Kate Brix said if the three towns consolidate they would have a chance to eliminate school choice when the regional school unit is formed. One way to terminate choice is for the towns to dissolve their school choice relationships just before the merger takes place.

The proposed regional school unit of Windham, Westbrook and Raymond would form in July 2009.

Marc LaRochelle of Alweber Road in Windham said he was disappointed more parents didn’t attend the forum.

“It’s easy to complain, but no one ever wants to show up and give some input,” he said. He said the people who did attend showed a lot of dedication to the subject.

“The better informed people are, the better they can make an informed decision,” said Donn Davis, the assistant superintendent. He said the school will depend on the support of voters to approve the town’s consolidation plans at the referendum slated for November.

The next step for Windham, Westbrook and Raymond is to have a completed reorganization plan submitted to Susan Gendron, Maine Commissioner of Education, by Feb. 1. The towns met the Dec. 1, 2007 deadline of submitting an incomplete version of the plan and now have to complete it. This includes an estimate on the total cost savings the plan will bring.