Bar Harbor: Island’s leaders upset state rejected MDI school plan
Bangor Daily News, December 18, 2007
(excerpt) Bar Harbor resident Brian Hubbell, vice chairman of the committee, wrote in a prepared statement that the decision left him and his fellow committee members "astonished."
Pingree, whose district includes the MDI towns of Tremont and part of Mount Desert, wrote in a letter to Gendron on Sunday that she was "frustrated" by the state’s rejection of the plan.
"The reasons why the plan was rejected completely contradict the long negotiations that occurred in my office and the very specific conversations we had about the rights and powers that could be delegated to the K-8 schools," Pingree wrote.
David Connerty-Marin, director of communications for the Education Department, on Monday attributed the frustration to a misunderstanding of what was discussed.
He said Gendron approved of letting local school committees have an advisory role to their RSU. Local towns could raise money for the elementary schools within their borders, he said, but only whatever additional funds the RSU was not willing to raise.
"What they have proposed puts the same burden on the central office with multiple budgets," Connerty-Marin said. "The RSU has a fiduciary and legal responsibility for the K-12 budget. They cannot give up their fiduciary responsibility [to a municipal school committee]."
Marshall said she is not sure what the MDI committee will do in response to Gendron’s rejection of its plan. Pingree and other area legislators have indicated they will try to meet with Gendron to go over the issue, she said.
(excerpt) Bar Harbor resident Brian Hubbell, vice chairman of the committee, wrote in a prepared statement that the decision left him and his fellow committee members "astonished."
Pingree, whose district includes the MDI towns of Tremont and part of Mount Desert, wrote in a letter to Gendron on Sunday that she was "frustrated" by the state’s rejection of the plan.
"The reasons why the plan was rejected completely contradict the long negotiations that occurred in my office and the very specific conversations we had about the rights and powers that could be delegated to the K-8 schools," Pingree wrote.
David Connerty-Marin, director of communications for the Education Department, on Monday attributed the frustration to a misunderstanding of what was discussed.
He said Gendron approved of letting local school committees have an advisory role to their RSU. Local towns could raise money for the elementary schools within their borders, he said, but only whatever additional funds the RSU was not willing to raise.
"What they have proposed puts the same burden on the central office with multiple budgets," Connerty-Marin said. "The RSU has a fiduciary and legal responsibility for the K-12 budget. They cannot give up their fiduciary responsibility [to a municipal school committee]."
Marshall said she is not sure what the MDI committee will do in response to Gendron’s rejection of its plan. Pingree and other area legislators have indicated they will try to meet with Gendron to go over the issue, she said.
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