DURHAM, Maine — Durham voters are headed to the polls Friday to decide whether to leave Regional School Unit 5.
The town made an attempt to remove itself from the RSU four years ago, and that effort failed by a large margin. But it’s clear there’s still some people who aren’t happy with the situation they’re in.
Durham voters will head back to the polls for this issue once again to potentially remove the town from the RSU, which also includes the towns of Freeport and Pownal.
The argument for staying comes down to money and stability. Some parents say the school system is fine the way it is. Selectman Jeff Wakeman said withdrawing could cost Durham a few hundred thousand more dollars.
But Wakeman also said one big factor is the fact that Durham has fewer school board members than Freeport does. He said voters feel their voices aren’t being heard when it comes to big issues such as the school budget.
If the withdrawal initiative passes Saturday, voters will vote on spending $50,000 to create a withdrawal committee, which is required by the state.