Orono panel clarifies consolidation plan Hearing to give residents more of a voice

ORONO – After an executive session at Tuesday night’s meeting, school committee members directed the superintendent to clarify with the state Department of Education their intentions to consolidate.

Superintendent Kelley Clenchy said Wednesday that the committee wanted to make clear its intent to include Glenburn and Veazie in consolidation discussions, along with Old Town and the communities that make up Union 90 (Milford, Alton, Bradley and Greenbush).

The committee voted last month to form a regional school unit with Old Town and Union 90, but the plan hasn’t sat well with some community members.

An online petition signed by nearly 400 residents was presented Tuesday to the committee. The document calls for the committee to reverse its Nov. 29 3-2 decision and instead to pursue a smaller regional school unit with Veazie and Glenburn.

“There’s been no public discussion to date,” Leo Kenney, resident and regionalization planning committee member, said Tuesday. “We have never discussed the issues.”

Based on the comments of those who attended the meeting, residents against the larger school unit have concerns about school and classroom size, the educational values of the other communities, and the amount of input that Orono residents will be afforded in future decision-making processes.

“This is about having a strong voice at the table,” resident Alison Williamson said.

But not all are against the idea.

“It’s imperfect, there’s no question about it,” resident Steve O’Connell said. “But it’s the best that we could come up with.”

“I feel sick to my stomach when we’re talking about our neighbors … that somehow they’re not worthy or we’re better than they are,” he continued.

In response to several residents who voiced concern that community members hadn’t been given ample opportunity to participate in the consolidation effort, the committee has tentatively scheduled a public hearing for 5:30 p.m. Jan. 9, pending the availability of a facilitator.

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