ST. GEORGE, Maine — The town will have its own school board next month after its decision to withdraw from the Rockland-area district.
The town will hold an election on Dec. 2 to fill the five positions on the newly created St. George board.
On Nov. 3, residents voted 1,163-226 to withdraw from Regional School Unit 13. The withdrawal takes effect July 1, 2015.
As of Nov. 12, seven candidates had taken out papers for the five seats. The deadline for filing is Nov. 17.
Candidates have to submit papers to run for a specific seat. Jennifer Garrett has filed papers to serve in the seat with a term that expires June 30, 2015.
Sherman Hoyt has taken out papers to serve on a seat that runs through June 30, 2016. Frederick Bernard and Terrance Driscoll are seeking another seat that runs through June 30, 2016. Driscoll has returned his papers.
Mark Shapiro and Margot Kelley have taken out papers for a seat that runs through June 30, 2017. And William Reinhardt has taken out papers for another seat that expires June 30, 2017.
Upon election, the new board will be sworn in Dec. 3.
St. George plans to operate its own kindergarten through eighth-grade school at the St. George School. Ninth through 12th graders would be tuitioned to other area high schools. The withdrawal agreement the town reached with RSU 13 calls for the district to accept St. George high school students. The Five-Town Community School district also agreed to accept 15 to 25 St. George students to attend Camden Hills Regional High School in Rockport. And RSU 40 has agreed to have St. George students attend Medomak Valley High School in Waldoboro.
St. George has about 100 students enrolled in grades eight through 12, with the eighth and ninth graders attending Oceanside West High School in Thomaston. The 10th-12th graders attend Oceanside East High School in Rockland.
RSU 13 Superintendent John McDonald said he expects most of the St. George students who attended Oceanside high schools to remain with the RSU 13 schools.