Nobody is going to want to hear this, but it would make more sense to combine high schools (Millinocket-Stearns and East Millinocket-Schenck). This would allow for better programs and probably save more money than putting together an elementary school and a high school.

I was elated in recent years when Millinocket was interested in consolidating with us. I was discouraged when our own people were disinterested in making the merger. Let's come to the table once again and try to make this thing work.

They can't seem to get past old rivalries, and mistrust. Silly.

people won't do what makes good sound absolute sense. they would rather complain about their taxes.

misterb

I don't mind hearing it. The old blood in these towns are idiots. Plain and simple.

We should be consolidating these school systems so the kids can have a better opportunity for education.

Maybe someday, these people will wake up.

misterb, I don't live in ether of the towns involved but that makes sense to me, the younger kids pick up the older ones habits(good and BAD) soon enough without placing them shoulder to shoulder in the public schools. just my opinion.

ugg..I can't believe we can't seem to just have one regional High School...(renamed by the students ) One regional Middle school ...keep open Granite...close Opal....(the big debate being...bus the elementary students to Granite or MMS ? ) If we allow the students to come up w/ a name...colors..etc. the excitement would build !!! This is the problem...too many big heads ....let the kids lead the way !! Can you imagine how great a new regional high school would be? Come on....CONSOLIDATE !

Having lived in the area, I can certainly understand the barrier presented by Rte. 157 between the two communities. Bussing is costly, and to bus high school students one way and elementary the other...? To utilize existing buildings to their utmost potential, makes more sense, the toxic attitudes of some residents notwithstanding. It would be worth looking at other rural schools where students of disparate ages are housed in one facility. Such an arrangement can easily work if handled properly.

Busing the children to one high school would free up some money in the end. they wouldn't need 6 or 7 English teachers in one high school, there is 3 @ Schenck alone and there must be at least 3 if not 4 at Stearns. With 36 students in the sophomore class @ Schenck and not much more than that in any of the other 3 grades here, we are spending too much to provide them a very basic education. Combined them all and cut some teaching positions add others to provide some choices including AP classes in the high school!!!! Look at the money saved with 1 principal for one high school. I do think that Millinocket and Union 113 should each retain 1 elementary school. We could use Medway middle for ours down here and they could still have Granite. Make one high school the middle school and the other the 'new' high school!

I am 1 East resident that is all for consolidation. Figuring out the financial end is the hard part and the part that Medway didn't want to deal with Millinocket on maybe East should go check it out on our own? It is well past time this happens! I haven't heard anything about working towards consolidation since the RSU was voted down.

To unlockautism: "a new regional high school" Do you have a clue as to the price of a newly built school? I was in the opinion that you are trying to save money. Best to think again.

Yea let's bus all our high school kids to Millinocket...

So they can choke on the garbage boiler too?

Do YOU really want to have your kids in a school system under the control of those NOW THERE?

I don't that's why I moved!

Anotherneighbor get your facts straight its a ultra clean gasification boiler that burns wood chips !!!

Estelle...I should have been more clear..Sterns would be the best spot for the "new" regional high school...sorry...:)) Not build a new school.

mlkfirst I guess you missed the last article when they said they could burn the town's garbage in it!!! Read back about 2 weeks ago!!

As the community considers its options, I hope policymakers will look carefully at the empirical research surrounding consolidation, and the pitfalls that has deemed "savings" so elusive in spite of numerous attempts. Communities of disparate size and interests often find the larger community voting expense and educational detriment upon the other, with no recourse available to those affected. Unions, which facilitate the consolidation of costs, services etc. WITHOUT consolidating power may be preferable here, though there is little appetite in the area for sharing a Superintendent, I understand. Transportation, construction and, yes, administrative costs of consolidation are routinely underestimated, both in terms of money and student achievement. Children have such a short time to benefit from our public education system, that citizens don't have the luxury of shortchanging students now for fancier facilities in the years ahead. I have researched the issue of consolidation extensively over the last five years or so, and hope to see communities leverage resources at hand to their optimal potential for their children. Money invested in teachers, and low teacher-student ratios have proven to return the highest yield to the community, not only in terms of education but also in economic development. Increased transportation costs, however, negatively impact student achievement, and the absence of educational infrastructure impedes economic development efforts. Construction....? Again, money is best spent on face time with teachers for children, so if it is at all possible to make do, please do! East Millinocket is my hometown, and I wish its residents well...

This should be about the children and nothing else, what is best for them...end of story period...the old "mill town" mentality needs to be put aside....

How about both? Physically consolidate Schenck and Myrick. Physically consolidate Stearns and Granite Street. Electronically consolidate Myrick and Granite Street, and electronically consolidate Schenck and Stearns.

That would eliminate the need for any of the students to be bused, which is particularly hard in the winter, and it would eliminate the need to have so many teachers for so few kids.

Again I ask why Millinocket Middle School has three science teachers for 150 kids? Assuming each teacher works only 6 periods a day, that's 8 kids per class. How is that working out? No one will answer. But it would not be happening if the schools were linked via web conferencing, like the rest of the world does in the 21st century.

Think of the children. Consolidate please! Now is the time to start to come together (actually that was 5-7 years ago but who's counting?)

It is my hope that the communities can come together, and, more importantly, to take care to do it in a way that does not consolidate power (a Union, rather than a consolidated district, and sharing the superintendent's office was a start, though not exactly embraced). It may be less tidy, but the burdens and benefits are shared more equitably in such an arrangement. When the interests of a small community conflicts with those of a large one in a consolidated district, the benefits are focused on the larger town regardless of the inefficiencies, educational disadvantages etc. experienced by those in the smaller community. All children deserve an optimal education, and research has shown that the tendency for voters to understandably pursue the best interests of their children is not limited by the costs imposed on children and taxpayers of smaller, distinct communities.

Taxpayer costs NEED to be taken into account. As the tax burden gets higher, the tax base gets smaller, in case you haven't noticed.

The ultimate outcome is that too few people end up paying too much in taxes and either leave the area out of self-defense or avoid taxes entirely. There needs to be a balance between what is good for the children and what we an afford.

Is the state going to allow both towns to go back to their own superintendents? I doubt it. So much more could be offered if we consolidate!