Voters decide 517-291 to pursue divorce from RSU 21
By JEFF LAGASSE
Staff Writer
ARUNDEL — With Tuesday’s votes tallied, the Town of
Arundel has come to a decision regarding its relationship with Regional School
Unit 21: Voters have resolved, by a 517-291 margin, to move forward with the
withdrawal process.
A “yes” vote also authorizes a withdrawal committee to expend up to $35,000 for a panel of experts to study and release more official numbers pertaining to the cost of RSU involvement. It does not finalize a separation from the school district; rather, a series of subsequent hearings and votes will take place.
A “yes” vote also authorizes a withdrawal committee to expend up to $35,000 for a panel of experts to study and release more official numbers pertaining to the cost of RSU involvement. It does not finalize a separation from the school district; rather, a series of subsequent hearings and votes will take place.
There is no study. READ THE STATUTE. The town has 30 days to form a withdrawal committee once the paperwork is filed, and then 90 days to come up with a withdrawal AGREEMENT.
ReplyDeletePlease - don't paint this in any light other than what it is. The vote was to formalize the petition and to start the withdrawal process.
If a 'study' were to be conducted, it would have been done BEFORE petitioning, and BEFORE voting to formalize the petition.
We are not stupid people.
We are now at section 4 of this statute, since the vote has been tallied:
4. Agreement for withdrawal; notice; changes in agreement; final agreement. The agreement for withdrawal must comply with this subsection.
A. The commissioner shall direct the municipal officers of the petitioning municipality to select representatives to a withdrawal committee as follows: one member from the municipal officers, one member from the general public and one member from the group filing the petition. The commissioner shall also direct the directors of the regional school unit board representing the petitioning municipality to select one member of the regional school unit board who represents that municipality to serve on the withdrawal committee.
The municipal officer and the member of the regional school unit board serve on the withdrawal committee only so long as they hold their respective offices. Vacancies must be filled by the municipal officers and the regional school unit board. The chair of the regional school unit board shall call a meeting of the withdrawal committee within 30 days of the notice of the vote in subsection 3. The chair of the regional school unit board shall open the meeting by presiding over the election of a chair of the withdrawal committee. The responsibility for the preparation of the agreement rests with the withdrawal committee, subject to the approval of the commissioner.
The withdrawal committee may draw upon the resources of the department for information not readily available at the local level and employ competent advisors within the fiscal limit authorized by the voters. The agreement must be submitted to the commissioner within 90 days after the withdrawal committee is formed. Extensions of time may be granted by the commissioner upon the request of the withdrawal committee.
The language that everyone voted on was NOT FOR A STUDY:
Do you favor filing a petition for withdrawal with the Board of Directors of Regional School Unit #21, and with the Commissioner of Education authorizing the withdrawal committee to expend $35,000 and authorizing the Municipal Officers to transfer the amount not to exceed $35,000 from the Town of Arundel's undesignated fund for this purpose?
This is to spend money on the WITHDRAWAL PROCESS, not a STUDY. READ THE LANGUAGE.
Those of you 'yes' folks who advertised this as a study LIED. You should all be ashamed.