Committee faces June 15 deadline to submit agreement
The Regional School Unit 21 Withdrawal Committee has until June 15 to
submit a withdrawal agreement to Maine Commissioner of Education
Stephen Bowen, to ensure the plan can go before Arundel voters on Nov 6.
Committee members said Nov 6 is being targeted so the vote can coincide
with Election Day.
RSU 21 Superintendent Andrew Dolloff provided the committee with a
potential timeline of dates, with each step leading to Nov 6. Dolloff
said his timeline based on the state’s withdrawal statute and allows the
maximum amount of time for Bowen to review the plan in two different
stages.
Dolloff said when the withdrawal committee submits an initial
agreement to the commissioner, a maximum of 60 days will be allowed for
the Bowen to review the plan. Dolloff also said he built in four weeks
of time for Bowen to conduct a final review of the agreement, when that
stage is reached.
“I have no way of predicting better than anyone else how long it will
take (Bowen) to review the plan each time,” Dolloff said. “But I think
it would behoove us, if we are shooting for Nov. 6, to allow the maximum
amount of time that the law allows for him to review the plan.”
Committee member Matthew Fadiman, who also serves on the RSU 21 Board
of Directors from Kennebunk, said this timeline will also force
everyone on the committee to put together a solid plan that won’t
require heavy review and scrutinizing from Bowen.
“Even if they’re not trying to drag their heels, I think the better
agreement we have, the more likely it is that Augusta can say ‘Yes,’”
Fadiman said.
No comments:
Post a Comment