A new law will allow communities that wish to opt out of a regional school unit to begin the process six months earlier.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2012, residents of a municipality that has been a member of an RSU for at least 30 months may petition to withdraw from the unit. The current minimum time is 36 months.
State Representative Wayne Parry, R-Arundel ”“ whose district also includes Dayton, part of Kennebunk and part of Lyman ”“ had submitted a bill to allow Dayton to break away from RSU 23, and the City of Saco had voted to be added to the bill.
Parry and State Senator Nancy Sullivan, D-Biddeford ”“ whose district also includes Arundel, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, which make up RSU 21 ”“ had also submitted a bill that would allow Arundel to break away from the school unit.
These bills were rejected because the Education Committee didn’t want to allow for special exemptions, said Parry in a written statement. He said he continued to lobby the committee to change the consolidation law to make it easier for all communities that wish to withdraw from an RSU.
“This now gives the residents of Arundel, Dayton and Saco the opportunity to start the withdrawal process a little earlier if they wish,” said Parry.
“It’s very good news,” said Dayton Selectman Chairman Ted Poirier. He said he thinks the change is going to mean that a lot of communities across the state will be getting out of RSUs “sooner rather than later.”
Poirier has been a strong advocate of the town opting out of the RSU 23, which serves Dayton, Saco and Old Orchard Beach, stating the town would save money if it left the RSU.
Saco Mayor Roland “Ron” Michaud said the law still requires a 2â„3 majority for a withdrawal to pass, and he said he feels that it should instead require a simple majority.
Michaud said that Saco voted in the RSU because it was afraid of penalties for not conforming to RSU laws. The state has since decided that communities that haven’t conformed won’t have to pay fines, he said. Since the field has changed so dramatically, the state should allow communities the option to vote again with a simple majority, he said.
“We’re being penalized for following the rules,” he said.
Michaud said he appreciates the work that legislators have done, but said what the state has done is inequitable.
Poirier said he does not see any problem with getting a 2â„3 vote to leave the RSU in Dayton. The RSU budget, with recently passed district-wide, failed in Dayton 208 to 98. Also, an informal poll was done at the town municipal building on the day of elections, and Poirier said more than 90 percent of people polled were in favor of the town opting out of the RSU.
David Lane, who has been active with the Concerned Arundel Citizens group, said Friday that he was “glad to hear” Gov. LePage had signed the bill.
“We were already moving forward (with the withdrawal process),” said Lane, “but this allows us to start immediately instead of in January.”
Lane said the group plans to ask the Arundel Board of Selectmen for their support at the board’s next meeting and will be getting in touch with Jim Rier from the Department of Education for more information on the withdrawal process.
“By the more recent votes, it’s pretty evident the town is not happy with where we are, and we need to start the process,” said Lane, Friday.
Arundel residents voted 189 yes to 368 no on the second version of the RSU 21 budget, June 14.
Selectmen in Arundel have voiced support for RSU 21 in the recent past, but Lane said “with the recent votes, they may have gotten the idea that it’s more than just a few of us (who want to withdraw from the RSU).
“They think it’s two or three of us, but it’s really hundreds of us.”
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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