AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage believes Maine has a glut of school superintendents and he intends to pressure districts into consolidating administrations with the two-year budget he will propose in early 2017.

LePage said in a recent interview that funding is being spent more on the administration of schools and not in the classroom. The governor went on to say teachers and students are “the two victims of our school system.”

The Maine School Boards Association and Maine School Superintendents Association say LePage is incorrect in asserting that school administration is driving up costs.

Officials from both organizations cited a Maine Department of Education report that shows administrative costs are declining in the state as evidence.

LePage has offered no details on his plan to force district officials into combining administrative functions.