Arundel residents seek middle school answer
By Rachel H. Goldman
Staff Writer of the Kennebunk Post
Regional School Unit 21 will formalize an offer to Thornton Academy Board of Trustees asking them if the district can accept Arundel middle school students while honoring the financial obligations of the district’s contract with Thornton Academy.
The contract states that RSU 21 will pay tuition for all Arundel middle school students to attend Thornton Academy Middle School. Last year’s arbitration between Thornton Academy and RSU 21 solidified the contract’s language. The ruling prohibited the district from enrolling additional Arundel middle school students at Middle School of the Kennebunks unless the contract is terminated.
Arundel middle school students have only been allowed to attend Middle School of the Kennebunks if their families pay the district approximately $8,000, the cost for tuition set by the Maine Department of Education.
Arundel, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport residents in May voted to leave the contract in place.
Several Arundel residents in July approached their board of selectmen and asked if it could help find a way for Arundel students to attend Middle School of the Kennebunks.
Arundel selectmen agreed the issue resided between the district and Thornton Academy.
Arundel residents on Monday night approached the school board and asked the RSU 21 board to formally extend the offer to Thornton Academy’s board of trustees.
“I’m fighting for education,” Arundel resident Matt Sylvanus told the school board Monday night. “This one last step needs to be taken. We need this to be formally offered.”
Board members acknowledged the residents’ desire to send children to the public school within their district, but worried whether aggressively pursuing the issue would reignite the heated Thornton Academy Middle School buyout dispute.
“The voters have voted, the arbitrator has decided. I think it’s a shame frankly, but I’m afraid we’re grasping at straws and we’re dragging it along,” said Kennebunk Board Member Tim Hussey.
Kennebunk Board Member Frank Drigotas worried pursuit of the issue could cause a backlash from Thornton Academy supporters and strengthen the push to withdraw from the district.
Kennebunk Board Member Bob Domine urged the district not to be “bullied” by Thornton Academy or the town of Arundel.
Frank Drigotas is correct, it will stengthen the push for Arundel to withdraw. Thank you to Tim Hussey for listening to what the voters want.
ReplyDeleteThis issue should be done by now, but the minority won't let it go. If not a public relations stunt, then what is the motive?
I recently requested the RSU21 School Board, to formally request permission of the TA Board of Trustees to allow students to attend MSK, while paying for the tuition at TA. I made this request for the following reasons;
ReplyDelete1. According to the conversations of the previous RSU Board, MSK could absorb a certain amount of students at very little or NO additional cost to the Taxpayer.
2. The arbitrator stated "...the decision of the Thornton Board to accept Arundel Students was based on a careful economic analysis regarding the costs and benefits...". This proposal would meet the economic requirements of the contract, while providing the best educational options for the students in Arundel.
3. In early conversations I personally had with the Department of Education, it was pointed out, a formal written offer is different than conversation. At the time, I approached board members and requested this be done. It was not.
4. During the public meeting to discuss the TA contract, a member of the public, made statements to suggest the Superintendant had not been given authority to make any offers to TA. It was determined, the Superintendant did not need permission to have conversations.
5. At a recent Arundel Selectboard meeting, one of the selectman who spoke to the TA Headmaster, at my request, reported to the board that TA was looking at the middle school like a "business". In business, important offers are always in writing.
6. We pay taxes to RSU21, and although we have seen a great improvement in the offerings at MLDay, we are not able to reap the full benefit of this great district.
My intentions for again asking for the formal written offer had nothing to do with a public relations stunt. It was only driven by my personal feelings of what is in the best interest of education.
Everyone needs to remember what we voted on in the election. The vote was to spend 1.2 million on a contract buyout with no guarantee. The vote had nothing to do with the proposal to allow students to attend the indistrict middle school at no cost to the taxpayer. I say no cost to the taxpayer, because the people I have talked to, are more than willing to pay any additional costs that MAY be associated with this proposal.
It is also my opinion that this proposal really has no bearing on a push for withdrawal, and I would like to hear from the poster above who thinks this does. Explain to me how meeting the economic requirements of the contract, while not harming the taxpayer, and still providing the best education, strengthens a movement to withdraw.
Respectfully,
Matt Sylvanus
Since there only seems to be a handful of students that want to attend MSK and their tuition will still be paid to TAMS and if extra $ is needed, parents are willing to pay the difference...just let them go. No harm, no foul, no money taken from the taxpayers pockets and maybe this town can move forward. (2)
ReplyDeleteNo harm, now foul? Really, how about negating a contract that would thus further be moot? Why not listen to what the vote was?
ReplyDelete