Schools consider costs of not joining RSU 15
12/8/08 | 12 comments

Schools consider costs of not joining RSU 15


Penalty seeming ‘the lesser of two evils’ for some
By Nok-Noi Ricker
BDN Staff

BREWER, Maine — Officials say joining the proposed Regional School Unit 15 is going to cost more than state penalties for not joining, and school and town leaders involved in the local school consolidation process are suggesting residents seriously weigh the two options.

“We’ll either pay the $107,000 [penalty in reduced state funding] or our 18 percent of $2.8 million over three years,” Kyle Casburn, chairman of the Orrington School Committee, who also serves as chairman of the RSU 15 committee, said Friday.

The projected increased costs for Orrington if residents choose to join RSU 15 would be around $504,000 in the first three years, based on current projections.

Paying the penalty is “the lesser of two evils,” Brewer Superintendent Daniel Lee said. “You’re asking Brewer to choose between a $244,000 penalty or 44 percent of that $2.8 million. That would be roughly $1.2 million. How can you vote for that?”

Brewer, Dedham, Orrington, SAD 63 and CSD 8 are working together to create RSU 15 under the state's new school consolidation law. Residents in the 10 communities will vote Jan. 27 in a thumbs-up or thumbs-down referendum about joining the new consolidated school district.

While consolidating the central offices of the school units in the proposed district would save about $400,000 annually, those savings would be more than offset by projected increases. The increased costs to residents for joining RSU 15 are projected at $2.74 million over the first three years of operation.

The budget projections are based on assumptions that once the new RSU 15 district is formed, the salaries of teachers, education technicians, office, janitorial and other school employees would become uniform districtwide.

The costs of the new school district would be split among the 10 communities with 50 percent based on student population and the other 50 percent based on valuation. Under this cost-sharing plan, Brewer would pay 44 percent of the total cost of the RSU 15 budget, Orrington would pay 17.7 percent, Holden, 14.4 percent, Eddington, 10.8 percent, Dedham, 7.1 percent, Clifton 3.8 percent and the Airline communities would pay the remaining 2.2 percent.

Communities in RSU 15 that choose not to join the new school unit would face financial penalties ranging between $14,000 and $244,000, Casburn said.

Dedham would face a penalty of around $55,210 for not joining RSU 15; SAD 63, which includes the communities of Holden, Eddington and Clifton, would face a penalty of nearly $157,000; and CSD 8, which comprises Amherst, Aurora, Great Pond and Osborn, would pay $14,214.

The Department of Education is akin to a “Maine mafia,” Penny Peasley, Clifton selectmen and RSU 15 planning committee member, said Friday.

“What they’re actually saying is vote my way or pay,” she said. “I don’t know what has happened to the right to vote without restriction. I thought we got out of that in the 1920s and ’30s. We’re stuck either way we go.”

Peasley said she’s worried about the 749 residents in her town.

“Their taxes will go up, up, up,” she said. “It is not saving money. There will be people who will lose their homes.”

Casburn said that with the projected cost increases he “would be stunned if it passed” in any of the 10 communities that vote in January. “It doesn’t make economic sense to do it,” he said.

“This is going to cost Orrington money either way,” Casburn said. “Staying independent [and paying the penalty] at least for the first year is the lesser of two evils.”

···

Public information meetings about the proposed Regional School Unit 15 consolidating plan among Brewer, Dedham, Orrington, SAD 63 and CSD 8 are being held in each community in the next few weeks. Residents will vote on joining the new school district Jan. 27. Following is the schedule of meetings:

— 6 p.m. Dec. 8, Brewer High School library.

— 7 p.m. Dec. 10, Airline Community School, Aurora.

— 6:30 p.m. Dec. 15, Holbrook Middle School, Holden.

— 6:30 p.m. Jan. 7, Center Drive School, Orrington.

— 6:30 p.m. Jan. 13, Dedham School gym.

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Comments
12 comments on this item
On 12/8/08 at 7:09 AM, CandyofBrewer wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

The school unification proposed by Baldacci and his cohorts has always been a slippery slope...the fact that the Baldacci Mafia has now emposed penalties and didn't allow the people of Maine to vote on this says it all. HIS WAY ONLY.....SO long as he can keep his pork barrel spending it doesn't matter how much the People of Maine have to pay. Impeach his sorry arse.....we do have that right....anyone ever hear of a thing called a NO CONFIDENCE vote? It's time our Italian DON got out of office.

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On 12/8/08 at 7:44 AM, Larryt39 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

The RSU for Brewer and surrounding communities, may well fail. The Brewer taxpayers will never support this idiotic proposal from the Governor. He really is operating way over his heard on this issue in particular. School consolidation is no doubt in need, but to go about it the way Baldacci did, will hurt Brewer, and other communities. By the way, the stated date for a meeting for Brewer residents is mistaken. It is on January 8th, not tonight...Larry T. Doughty, South Brewer. larrytdoughty@yahoo.com, www.ourstory.com/larrytdoughty/

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On 12/8/08 at 7:52 AM, thekingofmaine wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Again, I'm going to go on another Baldacci tirade. I've had enough of him and his cohorts. Its true CandyofBrewer. PORK BARRELING AT ITS FINEST. Question 1 issue again - more money for a state funded program that HE created that helps nobody that it was supposed to. What's wrong with that? Coming up with terms like "REGIONAL SCHOOL UNIT". Next its gonna be REGIONAL WORKPLACE FOR THE SOCIALIST STATE OF MAINE under Comrade Obama. You see the picture of him shaking hands with Baldy? Creepy. For one thing, I'm glad I didn't get the chance to vote the DON of Bangor into the Blaine House. I was too young for that election I think. And as long as people from southern maine keep on being liberal. Then we're gonna keep spending and overspending outselves on worthless projects and endeavors that will help nobody in the end, but Baldacci will feel proud for shunning growing industries, increasing taxes, endorsing the old industries, and of course having no input from the common mainer. Its a dictatorship. get him out of the blaine house now

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On 12/8/08 at 8:52 AM, CandyofBrewer wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

hey king....I was old enough to vote...and I didn't vote for him..You are right in one thing....Southern Maine seems to dictate what happens in the rest of the state. But then...there have always been two Maines...those in Waterville and south...and those of us North. The people thought they had it made because they were putting a "local boy" in office ....He grew up in Bangor...and now his family is pretty much the POWER in Penobscot county. Unfortunately John-boy seems to have forgotten everyone but his family. When Baldacci's opens up it's new sight...people may have their eyes opened...but I doubt it.

The simple fact that we have never been allowed a vote on most of his proposals says a lot to me. His dictatorial approach to office needs to be cut short...BEFORE he changes the Maine Constitution and disallows it. The fact that he is willing to penalize people for disagreeing with his bad business proposals sounds more like Mafia than anything. "You follow da family...you don't follow da family...you pay".

Larry---Thank you for the correction..BDN seems to make a habit of misprinting these things, especially when it's involving Baldacci's proposals being put to a vote...I guess It's a good thing that they couldn't misprint election day....the vote to shut down the soda tax would have been a farce otherwise.

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On 12/8/08 at 10:07 AM, thekingofmaine wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

sort of like the sopranos thing... I coulda been a contendah... wait thats Godfather... I'm running as represenative in District 27 in the next election as an independant. Vote

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On 12/8/08 at 10:29 AM, anne_of_mdi wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Actually it was "On the Waterfront" starring Marlon Brando, 1954.

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On 12/8/08 at 1:45 PM, Saltoria wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Candy....what is with all the Italian defomation? You got a problem with Italians? Don't paint them all with a broad brush my young friend. Being Italian has NOTHING to do with his decision making. Get a grip. What if I referred to Obama as that black moron? I don't think many would take me too serioiusly.

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On 12/8/08 at 1:51 PM, Saltoria wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

You all need to talk about his poor decision making and leave his ethnicity out of it. You miss the opportunity to make your point when you start name calling, AGAIN. I don't like the school consoludation proposal because it hasn't been thought through carefully enough. I know there is a lot of pork in school administration and programs, and although he is making an effort to make cuts, this was a bad way of going about it. The locals will have to pick up the cost.

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On 12/8/08 at 4:08 PM, thekingofmaine wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Saltoria, I refer to obama as that dumb

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On 12/8/08 at 4:09 PM, thekingofmaine wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

saltoria:consolidation not consoludation

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On 12/8/08 at 4:29 PM, BlueCollarBob wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Hey, kingofmaine, we have something in common!!! I refer to Bush as dumb. Not just dumb, but the dumbest president ever! And you're right about Obama too. You'd have to be dumb to overcome centuries of racism and bigotry and one of the most effective right-wing political attack machines in history to become our first African-American president-elect. Only idiots graduate from Columbia and then go on to graduate magna cum laude with a law degree from Harvard.

P.S. Will u b correkting everons speling nouw??

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On 12/8/08 at 9:01 PM, Saltoria wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

thekingofmaine: thanks for the correction. I usually catch those!

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