I am writing in hopes of providing just a bit of clarification on what yes on the Dec. 17 vote would set in motion.
As a member of the Durham Educational Exploration Committee back in 2012, when Durham was considering withdrawal from RSU 5, one of the things we heard over and over again was, “Why didn’t anyone tell me that?” Despite everyone’s best efforts, it is difficult to make sure voters are aware of the issues surrounding such an important vote.
One of the statements I have repeatedly heard as Freeport considers withdrawal is that this will allow the town to “explore the possibility of withdrawal.” This is where I caution people to understand what a yes vote really means. Voting yes on Dec. 17 is a vote to withdraw from RSU 5. It sets in motion the process of developing a plan that must result in the departure of Freeport from the RSU. That plan is then voted on by the Freeport residents. The cost and time necessary to draft this plan cannot be definitively determined right now, but I believe it is safe to say that it is unlikely to be cheap or fast. The baseline we have heard is $50,000 and roughly a year-long process. It is a significant investment of time and money to simply explore the possibilities.
The way the law governing the withdrawal process is written, there is no option for Freeport, upon further exploration, to simply decide to end the process and stay in the RSU without the creation of the withdrawal plan that is approved by the Department of Education and then voted on by the voters of Freeport.
As a resident of a town that entertained this same road in the not-so-distant past, I can certainly appreciate the desire to make sure we are doing the right thing for our children and our towns, but just wanted the process to be clear. A yes vote on Dec. 17 will result in a plan to leave the RSU that must then be voted on, regardless of what further information is discovered in the process.
Michelle Ritcheson
Durham
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