Stephen Bowen: Loss of school choice a major concern
Bangor Daily News, May 24, 2008
(excerpt) In an OpEd in the Bangor Daily News, parents Sandra Pyne and Janet Winchester detailed how district reorganization planners in SAD 38 are looking to eliminate school choice options there as part of a plan to merge with SAD 48 in Newport, "School choice must be preserved" (BDN, April 29).
They are not the only parents in Maine who should be worried about the loss of school choice. A new report from The Maine Heritage Policy Center details how school choice opportunities across Maine are being scaled back or eliminated as state-mandated school district consolidation efforts continue.
Like the planned merger of SAD 38 and SAD 48, the plan for the merger of Carmel-area SAD 23 and neighboring Hermon would eliminate the opportunity SAD 23 students currently have of going to a high school of their choice using a waiver granted by the school committee. In recent years, high school students from SAD 23 have attended as many as six different high schools using this system. Under the provisions of the reorganization plan, however, existing waivers will be "grandfathered." After that, no more waivers will be granted, thus eliminating school choice opportunities entirely for the almost 300 students in SAD 23 who have that option today.
(excerpt) In an OpEd in the Bangor Daily News, parents Sandra Pyne and Janet Winchester detailed how district reorganization planners in SAD 38 are looking to eliminate school choice options there as part of a plan to merge with SAD 48 in Newport, "School choice must be preserved" (BDN, April 29).
They are not the only parents in Maine who should be worried about the loss of school choice. A new report from The Maine Heritage Policy Center details how school choice opportunities across Maine are being scaled back or eliminated as state-mandated school district consolidation efforts continue.
Like the planned merger of SAD 38 and SAD 48, the plan for the merger of Carmel-area SAD 23 and neighboring Hermon would eliminate the opportunity SAD 23 students currently have of going to a high school of their choice using a waiver granted by the school committee. In recent years, high school students from SAD 23 have attended as many as six different high schools using this system. Under the provisions of the reorganization plan, however, existing waivers will be "grandfathered." After that, no more waivers will be granted, thus eliminating school choice opportunities entirely for the almost 300 students in SAD 23 who have that option today.
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