FREEPORT – For the time being, there’s a line in the sand between the Freeport Withdrawal Committee and Regional School Unit 5 in their negotiations for Freeport to leave RSU 5.

The Withdrawal Committee says Freeport High School, with a capacity of 500 students, cannot guarantee to be the “school of record” for students in Durham and Pownal, the other two towns in the district. The RSU 5 Working Group, which includes RSU 5 board members from Durham and Pownal, says that capacity shouldn’t be an issue, because some parents will choose to send their children to other schools if, and when, Freeport withdraws.

The two committees will try again to solve that difference when they meet on Wednesday, May 21, at Freeport High School, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

While the Withdrawal Committee is willing to “grandfather” Durham and Pownal students currently attending school for a maximum of seven years, the Maine Department of Education stipulates that one high school commit to 10 years – a school of record – for towns orphaned by withdrawal. If Freeport residents vote in November to leave RSU 5, withdrawal would occur following the end of the 2014-2015 school year.

During their meeting last Thursday, the Withdrawal Committee and the Working Group discussed the school-of-record issue at length, and also caucused with their respective counsel. Following the caucus, Peter Murray, Withdrawal Committee chairman, said that a stand-alone Freeport school unit could guarantee Durham and Pownal “some kind of a number of seats” for 10 years.

That was not good enough, indicated Michelle Ritcheson, Working Group chairwoman.

“Unfortunately, that doesn’t get us the school of record that the state requires,” Ritcheson said.

Murray said that the Withdrawal Committee was “pretty firm” on its offer, to which Ritcheson responded, “And so are we.”

“Then we’re going to be in trouble,” Murray said.

Since the negotiations began in January, the Working Group has been in contact with nearby school departments, asking them if they can commit to Durham and Pownal students and accommodate a mutual Central Office. Ritcheson has said that Brunswick is the largest of those school districts, and she has spoken to Brunswick school officials twice. Brunswick has shown some interest, but stops short of committing to a school of record, she said.

Murray asked what would be wrong with Brunswick “checking the box.”

“The school of record in my mind needs to be Freeport,” Ritcheson answered.

Murray said that would force Freeport to pay for an expansion of the high school, and Ritcheson repeated that would not be necessary, because some parents would choose other schools. As she has on several occasions, Ritcheson reminded the Withdrawal Committee that withdrawal is Freeport’s idea.

“That’s the cost of withdrawal,” she said.

Left at a standstill, the two committees decided to reconsider the matter on May 21. Rich DeGrandpre, a Withdrawal Committee member and town councilor in Freeport, suggested that the two committees consult residents of their respective towns for opinions on the matter.

Earlier, Ritcheson said that no school department contacted had expressed willingness to be a school of record for Pownal and Durham students.

“It’s highly unlikely that Freeport has a capacity problem, knowing that some kids will go to another school,” she said.

Murray argued that a 10-year commitment would be twice as long as RSU 5 has been in existence. He suggested that if Brunswick made that pledge, Freeport would agree to take in all the Durham and Pownal students it could. Murray also said that a meeting among Brunswick, Freeport and RSU 5 might be in order.

Ritcheson repeated that Freeport should be the school of record.

Copy the Story Link