VEAZIE, Maine — The RSU 26 Finance Committee will hand a list of recommended cuts to the school district’s board of directors at a meeting Wednesday night. If the changes are accepted, the district would be less than $150,000 away from closing its $2 million budget gap.
The cuts range from cutting junior varsity field hockey at Orono High School to eliminating and consolidating positions at each school to putting off repairs and equipment replacements.
The board of directors meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Orono High School cafeteria.
If the board passes the reductions, any remaining shortfall would be passed on to the towns, which would need to fund the difference in order to meet the schools’ budget requirements — most likely through a tax increase.
Meanwhile, residents in Glenburn and Veazie are passing around petitions in attempts to pull their towns out of the school district.
Veazie resident Rob Tomlinson has formed a committee, along with four others, that has submitted language for a ballot initiative that calls for withdrawal from RSU 26. If the language is accepted by the town, the committee would need signatures from 10 percent of the Veazie residents who voted in the last gubernatorial election, which works out to 88 signatures, according to Tomlinson.
Gathering those signatures would send the bid for withdrawal before voters.
Tomlinson said Tuesday night that Veazie has received the raw end of the school district deal and is spending more money to have less control over its school and its funding.
“We came in with money and now we have none,” he said.
“Right now, people have a lot of energy about getting out [of the school district],” Tomlinson said, adding that the petition committee will still have to take a close look at the numbers, “get past the emotion, and make sure we’re making the right decisions.”
Glenburn Town Council Chairman Michael O’Connor said Tuesday night that he has heard about a petition being distributed to residents in the past week or two.
During a finance committee meeting Tuesday night, members said they’ve done all they can to dull the pain cuts will cause to the towns and especially the students.
“This committee has put forth a tremendous effort to get together something we can live with,” said Lisa Buck, a committee member who represents Orono on the board of directors.
Also at the meeting, Superintendent Douglas Smith announced that the Orono Town Council has selected Leo Kenney, a former board member, to fill a vacant Orono seat on the board.
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I agree, yet those are the very cuts that get parents to flood school board meetings. It is very sad that cuts to sports bring out way more people than teacher cuts would. That is a very sad but very true reality.
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Reading, Writing and Arithmetic.
Triple rank the Priorities.
Match to the available budget, and CUT the rest.
How about Freshman and JV Football–there aren’t enough kids to form 3 teams, but lets go for the girls’ sports first (though I personally don’t like field hockey, lol). Let’s remember that it was the girls soccer team members who won $10,000 for the district, but the funds are being used for a different sport.
Has there been any discussion regarding golf, track or swimming? Also, rather than 2 games here, 2 games there–make a Saturday out of away games, using 1 bus to send out all 4 JV and V bball and/or soccer teams. Makes for a long day, but most players ride home with a parent anyway.
Last suggestion–consolidate practice times for JV and V. Let the JV players learn and develop from time with experienced players. This also gives the JV teams time to practice with their “swing” players for a more unified team on the court during a game.
It sounds like the other two town in the RSU are looking at leaving. What might be the conversation around this? It doesn’t seem to be a concern for the town of Orono where there doesn’t seem to any comments from officials. Ok, so Veazie and Glenburn bail – then what for Orono? How much would the town loose in State funding? In return, how much more money will the town be required to contribute? Are Orono officials taking the bailing of Veazie and Glenburn seriously?
Better idea, merge with RSU 34 can create one of the best high schools in the area and the only with direct involvemet of the University. We can also use another Class A school…
Hey dunbar2, that which you talk about has been turned down by the town of Orono several times even though RSU 34 and the University of Maine supported it. I expect if this is brought up again the same would happen. Why? Who knows. Reality says that Orono officials will attempt to cost save and will have the same budget woes next year and continue to cost save until all the Orono students end up in a one room school house with a wood stove for heat and an outhouse for a bathroom – male and female of course.
Whut? No Two Holer?
“Tomlinson said Tuesday night that Veazie has received the raw end of the school district deal and is spending more money to have less control over its school and its funding.“We came in with money and now we have none,” he said.”
You mean like every other district in the state, or country for that matter. The issue is the economy, shrinking enrollments nearly everywhere. I wonder how bad off Veazie and Glenburn would have been without the RSU (they may have been even worse off). From what I hear, they knew the cliff was there and did next to nothing to plan for it. THAT falls on a superintendent and school board.
Hampden may be on the same course in the near future.
The Behemoth will leave the dock soon, set sail, start to sink and take sad 22 down with it.
Seems no one did the center of gravity and buoyancy calculations.
Two choices, man the pumps or abandon ship.