SUMNER — The lawyer for Regional School Unit 10, Dick Spencer, told the board that all four towns that once made up School Administrative District 21 must vote to pull out of the district in order for that to happen.
“If any town chooses not to withdraw, then it doesn’t happen,” he said following a 20-minute closed session at Monday’s board meeting.
Residents of Canton, Carthage, Dixfield and Peru will vote Nov. 8 on whether to withdraw from RSU 10. If all four towns agree, the withdrawal would be effective June 30, 2017.
The eight other district towns are Buckfield, Hartford, Sumner, Mexico, Rumford, Byron, Roxbury and Hanover.
Advocates of withdrawal believe school costs would be less for the four towns; others believe the costs would be considerably higher.
The Withdrawal Committee has met twice monthly to work out an agreement. They are also required to devise an educational plan for students.
Spencer told the board that if the withdrawal passes, current high school students would be allowed to complete their education where they are, provided the four breakaway towns pay tuition. Also, all special education costs would be the responsibility of the town that sends the student.
In other matters at Monday’s board meeting, approval was granted for five Buckfield Junior-Senior High School students to attend the National History Day competition in Maryland in June. All costs will be paid by the students’ families or through fundraisers.
Buckfield school director Jerry Wiley said 324 students in grades kindergarten to six attend Hartford-Sumner Elementary School and 224 students in grades seven-12 attend Buckfield Junior-Senior High School.
A suggestion was made to consider moving Hartford-Sumner Elementary School grade 6 to Buckfield Junior-Senior High School. The two schools’ principals, Ryan Wilkins and George Reuter, will meet with King and the Buildings and Grounds Committee to take a look at the two schools before the end of the school year.
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