The suspension/discontinuance of Boatbuilding and Marine Mechanics at Washington County Community College involves many important questions about our education system that should have been addressed before any action was taken and still need to be explored. Two broad topics seem to focus questions about the discontinuance: Were Boatbuilding and Marine Mechanics legitimate, important aspects of public education in Maine, and if a tight budget made cuts necessary were those programs the appropriate places to make cuts? Resolution of those questions may not restore those specific programs, but could save other trades from similar fate.

I am one of the instructors let go within a few months of 64 years old, without work or insurance. I was a graduate of the program and I found an intensely satisfying work and culture because of the Boat School. As an instructor, I saw one or two students every year that made the transition from lost youth to purposeful adult only because of the efforts and attention of the school. To lose all that is a shock and colors my attitude, but does not necessarily lessen my arguments against the system that suspended the Boatbuilding and Mechanics programs; programs that fed one of the few growth industries in Maine, slowed the loss of our youth to other states and even brought young people from away to study and live here.

The Community College System office is in Augusta along with the people they deal with – the governor, Legislature and unions. Yet the head of the system has a second, duplicate office in South Portland. That duplicate office represents money for space, personnel, equipment, insurance, electricity, phone and cable – money that could have been spent on students.

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When Durwood Huffman retired with full benefits, the systems office hired him to a newly created position at a large salary plus a housing allowance. Although the member colleges had no say in the creation of that position, the size of the salary that went with it or the selection of its personnel they paid the cost. It is not paid by the systems office, but pro-rated among the schools from their individual budgets. It seems a sign of greed that the systems office should retain perks of dubious worth while turning away students.

Before the Boat School was part of a community college or technical college it was a good vocational technical institute. At that time, its enrollment varied from fair to very good. As a technical institute in an economically depressed county, the school was eligible for EDA money and federal assistance was important in the growth of the Boat School. With the changes in names, changes that cost thousands and thousands of dollars just in letterhead alterations, the school no longer qualified for EDA. A major source of funding was cut off.

At the same time, the changes of name required the students to reduce shop time and forced them to take and pay for academics they did not want. Enrollment has declined. The funding from enrollment has declined. It seems incompetent to drive away students and cut off funding while insisting that one style of education fits all.

Maine faces budget problems and cuts may have to be made. The UMaine system has tried to focus its cuts on administration, even to consolidation of presidential positions.Even with drastic cuts in administration, programs might have to be suspended. However, Boatbuilding and Mechanics programs that represent much of the culture and history of Maine and support a growth industry should not be suspended as long as the systems office retains its perks and discourages students.

Jeremy Chapman lives in Eastport.