BAR HARBOR — Mount Desert Island’s school reorganization planning committee (RPC) received a written notice from Education Commissioner Susan Gendron Saturday that the reorganization plan submitted by the seven towns of MDI and its outer island partners does not comply with the law.

“Frankly, we’re a little astonished,” said Brian Hubbell, Bar Harbor school board member and vice chairman of the RPC. “Not only do we believe the law supports what the RPC proposes but we also understood through our legislators that we had the state’s support on this as well.”

MDI’s reorganization plan was one of about 80 submitted by RPCs across the state in response to a school reorganization law passed in June. The MDI plan, which was submitted prior to the Department of Education’s Dec. 1 deadline, represents a half year of collaboration between island school boards, municipal officials, state legislators and island residents.

According to the commissioner’s letter, the plan “does not meet the requirements set forth in the reorganization law as it fails to vest the proposed Regional School Unit Board with the powers and duties given to it by law.”

MDI’s plan assigns substantial autonomy within the reorganized administrative unit to local school committees, each with authority over individual elementary schools.

“Our communities have clearly and consistently communicated to us the importance of this,” said Mount Desert school board member Gail Marshall, chair of the RPC. “It’s always been central and necessary to our plan and our legislators certainly have always understood that also.”

Be sure to pick up a copy of the Mount Desert Islander, available on Wednesday afternoons, for additional details.