Peru voters already approved the merger with SAD 21.
DIXFIELD – Years of work on a potential merger between the town of Peru and Peru School, and SAD 21, comes down to the wire this week.
On Wednesday, April 7, SAD 21 voters in the district’s towns of Canton, Carthage and Dixfield head to the polls.
Peru voters overwhelmingly agreed to merge on Feb. 24, voting 332 yes, 31 no. That put the ball in SAD 21’s court.
Last month, at an informational meeting in Dixfield and back-to-back public hearings in Canton, Carthage and Dixfield, SAD 21 Superintendent Thomas J. Ward and directors explained the merger process thoroughly, answering all questions.
On Wednesday, after moderators are elected in each town, voters can address the two remaining articles in the merger referendum ballot at the polls.
Article 2 asks, “Shall the district vote to admit the Town of Peru into School Administrative District No. 21 as a participating municipality of the district subject to the terms and conditions of the agreement prepared by the commissioner dated Dec. 29, 2003?”
Article 3 asks, “Shall the costs of operating ‘School Administrative District No. 21’ be shared among the Towns of Canton, Carthage, Dixfield and Peru according to the following formula:
• a. 90 percent of the costs shall be shared in the same proportion as each municipality’s property valuation (fiscal capacity), as provided by state law; and,
• b. 10 percent of the costs shall be shared in the same proportion as each municipality’s number of resident pupils, as provide by state law?”
The cost-share formula in Article 3 was worked out to be the fairest to all towns, with minimal impacts on the three SAD 21 towns.
Ward said a “No” vote on either Article 2 or Article 3 would be counted as a “No” vote for the merger.
To approve the merger, voters must cast a “Yes” vote on both Article 2 and Article 3.
Following balloting, each town’s clerk then sends the final votes to Maine Education Commissioner Susan A. Gendron in Augusta. They also notify Ward.
“It’s not official until the commissioner tallies the votes,” Ward said.
But once that is done, and if the majority of voters approves both the merger and the 90-10 funding formula, then a new school board would be created.
The new board would oversee construction of a new school – for which the state has set aside $10 million – to be located on the Peru-Canton side of the Androscoggin River.
It would also be responsible for devising a new budget for school year 2005-06.
tkarkos@sunjournal.com
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