Schools key to rural community
Bangor Daily News, November 5, 2007
(excerpt) While Union 60 also has an option to become an independent school, local officials hope a statewide effort to abolish the governor’s regionalization plan is embraced. If it’s not, Sens. Peter Mills, R-Cornville, and Douglas Smith, R-Dover-Foxcroft, have filed special legislation that, if approved, would allow the three communities to form an RSU with the Unorganized Territory in the Moosehead Lake region, which would add about 70 more students to the unit.
"It appeals to me because it’s a workable solution to the Greenville area," Smith said Saturday of the special legislation. "The law, such as it is, does not contemplate the kind of problems Greenville has to reorganize itself and to get under the minimum number of students required under the new law."
If the state plan is not abolished, Gould believes, the special legislation would be best for the three communities. While the governor’s plan itself will not close schools, the closures could easily come once a regional school unit is formed and the town’s clout is diminished by a larger community, he said.
"It’s been very disappointing that this has been from the top down and very little effort has been made to work with us," Gould said.
The governor’s plan is the exact opposite of past practice, according to Perry.
"We locally run our school. We locally support them, and taxpayers vote to support our schools pretty much on our own," Perry said. As a minimum receiver, Union 60 gets only 10 percent of its budget from the state. Last year, the state paid $250,000 of the $3.4 million budget, she said. Despite the low subsidy, the community chooses to spend about $11,000 per high school student, according to Perry.
(excerpt) While Union 60 also has an option to become an independent school, local officials hope a statewide effort to abolish the governor’s regionalization plan is embraced. If it’s not, Sens. Peter Mills, R-Cornville, and Douglas Smith, R-Dover-Foxcroft, have filed special legislation that, if approved, would allow the three communities to form an RSU with the Unorganized Territory in the Moosehead Lake region, which would add about 70 more students to the unit.
"It appeals to me because it’s a workable solution to the Greenville area," Smith said Saturday of the special legislation. "The law, such as it is, does not contemplate the kind of problems Greenville has to reorganize itself and to get under the minimum number of students required under the new law."
If the state plan is not abolished, Gould believes, the special legislation would be best for the three communities. While the governor’s plan itself will not close schools, the closures could easily come once a regional school unit is formed and the town’s clout is diminished by a larger community, he said.
"It’s been very disappointing that this has been from the top down and very little effort has been made to work with us," Gould said.
The governor’s plan is the exact opposite of past practice, according to Perry.
"We locally run our school. We locally support them, and taxpayers vote to support our schools pretty much on our own," Perry said. As a minimum receiver, Union 60 gets only 10 percent of its budget from the state. Last year, the state paid $250,000 of the $3.4 million budget, she said. Despite the low subsidy, the community chooses to spend about $11,000 per high school student, according to Perry.
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