ROCKLAND, Maine — The City Council will be placing a school-related advisory question on the November ballot to go alongside the referendum that would begin the process of withdrawing from the regional school district.
And the council also agreed Wednesday night to set aside $20,000 to pay for studying withdrawal.
The council will formally vote Monday to place the advisory question on the Nov. 3 ballot as well as setting aside the money.
The preamble to the advisory question states that Rockland has seen a steady increase in costs since the merger of School Administrative Districts 5 and 50 into Regional School Unit 13.
The question asks residents whether the city should explore other education options that could improve local education while minimizing costs. Those options include a municipal-through-eighth-grade system and older students attending a regional high school; a municipal kindergarten-through-12th grade school system; as well as possible changes to the funding and governance structure of RSU 13.
City Councilor Larry Pritchett said Wednesday that voters could approve both the advisory question and the withdrawal referendum, approve one and not the other, or reject both.
The withdrawal referendum is prompted by a petition drive that was spearheaded by two Rockland members on the RSU 13 board. Petitioners collected more than the necessary 272 signatures to force the referendum.
Mayor Frank Isganitis reiterated Wednesday night that the withdrawal vote in November would simply start a 22-step process and not necessarily result in Rockland withdrawing. A second vote of the public would be necessary for the withdrawal to occur. Isganitis was one of the residents who signed the petition along with Councilors William Clayton and Valli Geiger.
Rockland school board members Esther “Tess” Kilgour, Donald Robishaw Jr. and Nancy Jeffers also signed the petition.
Isganitis, Kilgour and Jeffers are seeking re-election to their current seats, also on Nov. 3.
The council also agreed Wednesday night to set aside up to $20,000 for the withdrawal committee to spend during the withdrawal process. The committee would be created if Rockland voters approve the withdrawal question. City Manager James Chaousis had proposed allotting $50,000, saying that is how much both Ellsworth and Freeport budgeted. The council can add more money later if necessary.
Thomaston selectmen and the RSU 13 board have passed resolves within the past two weeks to support the current configuration of the school district — Rockland, Thomaston, Owls Head, South Thomaston and Cushing.
The school district’s business manager has projected that withdrawal could cost the city $1.5 million to $3 million annually.