Friday, October 26, 2007

Bucksport Still Awaits Answers From Department of Education

Ellsworth American, October 25, 2007

(excerpt) A discussion of who will assume Bucksport’s debt — either Bucksport or all four communities — was on the agenda.

As of July 1, 2009, the town will owe $125,000 in local only debt for payments on the Middle School, High School repairs and one last payment on the Miles Lane School. Cost sharing would be based on the valuation of each town, if shared among the towns of the future Regional School Unit 9 (Bucksport, Orland, Verona Island and Prospect).

At the next meeting on Oct. 30, the nine-member Regional Planning Committee will choose one of two options, either to share the debt or to have Bucksport alone pay.

Another question that prompted discussion but no decisions yet was who will own the school buildings.

The law states that all buildings constructed with state and local funds have to be absorbed by the RSU, said Lucarelli. That would include the Jewett School, of which only about 25 percent is used for education. The rest of the building is the Bucksport Community Center.

Local legislators have said the decision is the committee’s.

Union 92 and Bucksport resident David Bridgham said the law allows the planning committee some give and take with school property in what goes to the RSU and what remains owned by the community.

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