LIVERMORE — Selectpersons voted unanimously Monday to have town Administrative Assistant Kurt Schaub gather information and the costs involved in withdrawing from RSU 73, Schaub said Wednesday.
Livermore and Livermore Falls formerly made up RSU 36/SAD 36 before it consolidated on July 1, 2011, with the Jay school system to create RSU 73.
A 13-member Reorganization Planning Committee and more than 90 members of the three communities worked six months to develop the plan to merge. At the time, the school systems faced state penalties in the form of less education subsidy if school districts did not consolidate. Jay faced a penalty of $224,235 and RSU 36, $171,366 for 2011-12. The state eliminated the penalty for not consolidating for the 2012-13 school year.
In January 2011, Jay voters overwhelmingly approved the plan to consolidate by a 710-185 vote. Livermore Falls voters passed it 331-101 and Livermore, 261-133.
During the first two years of consolidation, each of the three towns had money left from the former school systems that helped offset the assessment to the towns. This year there was no cushion.
Livermore and Livermore Falls’ assessments for the school district increased and Jay’s decreased, even though the $18.59 million school budget was down $10,000 from the previous year. School officials previously cited the reason for the increase was because of increased state valuation for Livermore and Livermore Falls and a decrease in Jay’s valuation.
Schaub has put in a request to RSU 73 school Superintendent Robert Wall to get the financial figures on what it would cost to leave RSU 73, he said.
Livermore Selectperson Rodney Newman asked fellow selectpersons Monday night if the town could explore withdrawal from the district, Schaub said.
Newman, a former RSU 36 school director, previously told his fellow RSU 36 school board directors in 2010 that he was opposed to merging with Jay. No official vote was taken at the time. He said he wouldn’t be able to support consolidation until the state education funding formula was made more equitable.
“We just want to explore all our options because it is continually increasing our taxes,” Chairwoman Megan Dion said Wednesday. “We’ve heard interest in looking into getting out of the RSU from the public.”
It was acknowledged Monday that it could be an expensive proposition to withdraw, Schaub said.
He plans to look into into the cost options and affects on the town and residents of withdrawing from the district and will report back to Board of Selectpersons, he said.
Alternatives discussed during the meeting included partnering with another district, and operating an elementary school and paying tuition to send students to another district, he said.
“No definitive plan is in mind,” Schaub said. “Selectpersons just want to know the alternatives and their associated costs.”
dperry@sunjournal.com
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