School consolidation progress stalled for now

WOODVILLE – A committee wants to develop further a plan to combine area schools, but Millinocket school officials are saying four area school boards need to sit down and iron out their differences before proceeding.

Despite Millinocket school officials’ request last week to call off a meeting of the four-member committee, members representing three other towns met this week. Millinocket’s representative did not attend.

Saying its work was not complete, the committee directed the administrations of School Union 113 (East Millinocket, Medway and Woodville) and Millinocket to get together and develop a curriculum and a budget for a proposed new school district by November. Officials said the effort could not be accomplished without Millinocket’s involvement.

Millinocket Superintendent Brent Colbry said the idea of developing a budget and curriculum for a new school district was excellent, but further action was premature until area school boards met to resolve any misconceptions about information in an earlier report. Some school officials and residents have raised questions about the validity of cost savings, revenues, staffing and curriculum.

“In our view, a thorough discussion and agreement on these components is critical prior to proceeding with the development of additional consolidation work,” Colbry stated in a letter this week to Sandra MacArthur, superintendent of the Union 113 and her board chairs. He asked a joint board meeting be scheduled early next month.

MacArthur said committee members were disappointed Millinocket did not attend, but officials of the union schools decided to go forward with the consolidation committee meeting this week because Millinocket was only one member of four.

“We do not believe that this is the time to change the process, but is the time for the committee to complete its task,” said MacArthur during an interview late Friday.

In response to Colbry’s letter, MacArthur offered a compromise saying she wanted the process to move forward. She is recommending the committees hold a special meeting Oct. 10 or Oct. 15 and invite all area boards to attend.

Before the special meeting is held, MacArthur wants Colbry and his business manager to meet next week with her and her administrative assistant to review figures in the draft model so everyone understands the basis for the numbers. “This would be the first step in eliminating perceived inaccuracies and misconceptions to building an environment of open and honest communication,” she said.

MacArthur said officials are committed to the process and want to fulfill their commitment to the communities, staffs and students.

During its meeting this week, committee members and many of the nearly 30 people attending said a curriculum and budget needed to be developed so area residents would have a complete picture of educational opportunities for students and the effect a new school district would have on local taxes. Several residents and committee members said the current model plan was not complete and did not contain enough information to convince them to support a new school district.

Don Hendsbee, chairman of the East Millinocket school board, said the committee was on the right track and that officials needed to get Millinocket back into the process. He said if a vote were held today on the current proposal, it would be turned down. Several other people agreed.

Some residents suggested the issue be dropped and explored in a few years while others expressed concern about Millinocket controlling the new SAD. Officials said representation for a school district was based on the population of each community.